Welcome
Gloucestershire is a wonderful county for nature and offers something for everyone. We have a wide range of habitats including urban areas in Gloucester and North Bristol, wild areas in the Forest of Dean, open commons such as Minchinhampton and Rodborough, old quarries like Breakheart near Dursley.
There are well over 100 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) containing a variety of rare and interesting plants, insects and other wildlife. Butterfly Conservation owns three reserves in the county - the Bill Smyllie Reserve, the Masts Reserve and Rough Bank.
Nearly 50 species of butterfly and over 1700 species of moth have been recorded in the county.
Species to look out for
Find out more
Discover moths at Rough Bank Reserve
Moth recording has been taking place at Rough Bank since Butterfly Conservation purchased the site in 2012. We now have records for hundreds of species, so take a look at our list of what you can find at the site.
Butterfly walks booklet
Sale now on - save up to 33%
The 2nd Edition of the Butterfly Walks in Gloucestershire booklet is now available. As well as walks, we've added an extra list of good butterfly sites around the county and a guide to the flight times of our butterflies to help you decide which walk to do and when.
Get involved
News
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More than 1,000 people help create Wild Spaces in Scotland
Communities discover weird and wonderful wildlife living on their doorstep.
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Government outline plans to end use of butterfly-killing pesticides
The Government has set out plans to end the use of neonicotinoid pesticides – a pesticide that is known to be lethally toxic to butterflies, moths, bees and other vital pollinators.
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Extinct butterfly brought back to England from Belgium
Innovative project shows one way to undo decades of environmental damage.
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Hardy volunteers wanted to join Christmas butterfly egg hunt
Helpers explore hidden countryside and have wild encounters.
Events
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Gloucestershire: Strawberry Banks Work Party 2024-25
Sunday 26th January 2025, 9:45am-2:00pm
Date: Sunday 26th January 2025 and Saturday 22nd February 2025 as reserve
Start time: 09.45 at Oakridge Church, SO 913034
Conservation work to help maintain habitat, especially for Marsh Fritillaries, but also for other plants and insects on the site. Please bring own tools and gloves if possible. Some loppers and bow saws will also be available. If interested, please contact Celia Morrison-Smith on 01452 770190.
These work parties, although principally aimed at maintaining good habitat for the Marsh Fritillary, are run on private land by the landowner and not by Butterfly Conservation. As such they may not have a trained first aider present. Any volunteers are therefore on site at their own risk.
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Gloucestershire: Habitat management day
Saturday 1st to Sunday 2nd February 2025, 10:00am-3:30pm
Prestbury Hill Reserve, Bill Smyllie section near Cheltenham
Practical conservation work party reducing scrub to maintain the grassland.
Meet at main entrance to Bill Smyllie SO993244. What3Words: hometown.blissful.scrub
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Gloucestershire: Habitat management day
Thursday 6th February 2025, 10:00am-3:30pm
Prestbury Hill Reserve, Bill Smyllie section near Cheltenham
Practical conservation work party follow up session from previous weekend and/or clematis reduction and tree popping to reduce the quantity of small scrub invading the grassland.
Meet at main entrance to Bill Smyllie SO993244. What3Words: hometown.blissful.scrub
Follow up of weekend work party and/or clematis reduction and tree popping to reduce small scrub to maintain grassland
Volunteer with us
Butterfly Conservation relies on the support of thousands of volunteers, and we are always looking for more help inside the office and out in the field. Whether you want to volunteer at a local branch, get outside and help manage our nature reserves, or help with one of our events, we have something for everyone to get involved in! Your time can make a real difference.