50+ people met at Norfolk’s Wheatfen Reserve and agreed translocation of the British Swallowtail may be considered if sea-level rise of more than 3mm per year threatens to replace fenland with saltmarsh. Great Fen Project and Lakenheath are possible target sites, but work on ecology of foodplant Milk Parsley is needed. Report is in the Guardian here.

SBBT has agreed a grant to Dr Eric Garraway in Jamaica to study two isolated populations of the Homerus Swallowtail. This lifeline to the most spectacular and endangered swallowtail in the Americas would not have been possible without a generous donation from the Howat family in memory of Dr Ian Howat, who loved butterflies and particularly this species.

SBBT has given a grant to the Queensland Wildlife Preservation Society for foodplant vines needed to rear this Vulnerable species in captivity and release the pupae and adults back to the wild. Volunteers across Queensland and New South Wales give their time freely to reverse the threats to this spectacular species.

SBBT’s Kinabalu Birdwing project headed by Stephen Sutton is to benefit from an HSBC Amanah grant to teach young people about the birdwing’s importance as a flagship species in this UNESCO World Heritage site in Sabah. Amongst other activities, they will create a traditional Dusun dance based around the butterfly’s courtship behaviour.

SBBT Trustees recently visited the Stratford Butterfly Farm, where the stunning display is from captive-reared stock. Stratford supports the Homerus Alliance, set up to save Jamaica’s endangered Homerus Swallowtail, the Western Hemisphere’s largest butterfly and a target species for the Trust.  Exploratory discussions focused on how we might assist this excellent cause.