Green Flag Award for Butterfly Park

The Green Flag raised at the Butterfly Park

The Green Flag team visited New Ferry Butterfly Park on October 2nd to hand over the Community Green Flag 2020-21.

Hilary Ash being filmed by the Green Flag Award team

This is the 7th Green Flag this urban nature reserve, run by local people, has been given.

Two members of the Green Flag Award film crew at the Butterfly Park

While there the team did some filming and the video (which includes the Butterfly Park and Port Sunlight village) can be seen here

 

The Butterfly Park opened on Sunday afternoons from mid June to mid September and around 500 people visited in that time. A one way system and passing places were introduced to help to keep everyone Covid-safe. There was no pond dipping or other hands-on activities but everyone appreciated being able to stroll around and appreciate the flowers and insects.

Eagle In The Frame

Mel Roberts, who had the vision to create New Ferry Butterfly Park, was a watercolour artist among other talents. He painted a picture of a white-tailed eagle and gave it to Frank Cottrell, who was so vital to getting Cheshire Wildlife Trust to take on the Butterfly Park.

White-tailed eagle painted by Mel Roberts

Frank recently paid for it to be framed. The proprietor at Framework (Bromborough) was very impressed with it and said it was the best quality painting he had had in to frame for years.

 

Frank Cottrell with the painting of a white-tailed eagle

Paul Loughnane, Secretary of New Ferry Butterfly Park Committee, is looking after it now.

Socially Distanced Surveying at Thurstaston Common

 

Belinda and Natasha with a quadrat taped up at Thurstaston Common

Just before restrictions tightened in Wirral again, we managed to get the Thurstaston Common annual monitoring done. This is its 39th year for the oldest 5 quadrats. Wirral Wildlife recorders have been doing the monitoring since 1992. The results are currently being analysed by Prof Rob Marrs. The quadrats measure 5m x 5m, so social distancing is easy!

If you find a metal bar sticking out of the ground on Thurstaston Common - please leave it alone, it is probably marking one of the 12 quadrats!