PEOPLE are being asked to help track down the illusive small pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly.

The charity Butterfly Conservation is teaming up with Heritage Lottery-funded Foresters’ Forest for the project.

Project leader Simon Glover says: “Thirty years ago there were over forty breeding colonies of this woodland butterfly, but this has declined to only two known sites last summer. The new survey taking place in May and June will specifically target potential sites for the species and we are looking for volunteers to search for them during the short flight season.”  Simon says the plan is then to join up former habitat and introduce violets, the caterpillar food plant, so that the species is not lost to extinction. He says; “We’d like to introduce the butterflies to sites where they have been lost.”

Volunteers can come along to Forestry Commission Offices at Bank House, Coleford for training on Saturday, (April 23) from 10.30 am, where the group will then head out to nearby Gorsty Knoll. If you are interested in volunteering for the survey or to book a place on the training day, then e-mail [email protected] or call 01594 822073.