End of Season Party at the Butterfly Park

On Sunday 10th September, to mark the last day of the 2023 opening season, the volunteers had an end of season party. There were two other celebrations that afternoon. First, the industrial history lectern by the brick pit was officially unveiled in honour of Frank Cottrell.

Unveiling of the industrial history lectern, dedicated to Frank Cottrell

Hilary Ash gave a short speech about the late Frank Cottrell’s contribution to wildlife locally and the Butterfly Park in particular.

Frank lived in Spital and worked at Unilever, after a short spell in the RAF - which left him with a military bearing and an impressive moustache.

Frank’s passion was butterflies, but there being no locally active branch of Butterfly Conservation, he became chair of Wirral Wildlife (1989 - 1998) and a trustee of Cheshire Wildlife Trust in 1992. He persuaded his fellow trustees that CWT should hold the Park's lease, opening up the way for the Park to start. Later he was a Sunday warden, with his friend Elaine Mills, retiring eventually at age 94! He gave a generous donation towards the new gates. Donations collected at Frank’s funeral were matched by Wirral Wildlife to enable the purchase of the lectern. It will help us display the history of the Park to visitors. The lectern is made of recycled plastic and aluminium, and we hope will last as long as Frank did - nearly 99 years.

Peter Miller, Paul Loughnane and Hilary Ash with the lectern

The lectern display was created by Peter Miller and reflects the industrial legacy which has given the park such biodiversity. Howard Gibson and Peter put the lectern in together.

Following this the party moved to the Park’s entrance for a second celebration.

Steve Lyus and Phil Putwain raising the Green Flag

The 2023/24 Green Flag was jointly raised by the former chair of the Park’s committee, Steve Lyus and the new chair Phil Putwain. This is the 11th consecutive year that the Park has achieved a Green Flag. In his report the Green Flag judge could not think of any improvements needed to the Park!

Steve Lyus became the Chair of the Park committee in 2013 and was instrumental in redefining our relationship with Cheshire Wildlife Trust. He maintained the insurance cover, regularly reviewed risk assessments, kept the information board up to date and was a logical head at the Park committee meetings. Steve is a keen gardener and was presented with an interesting plant, Hydrangea Preziosa, which bears bright pink flowers, which mature to red and eventually burgundy in autumn. Steve retired to the Wirral because of its acidic soils, so that he could grow Camellia and Azalea shrubs.

We welcome Phil Putwain to his role of Chair of New Ferry Butterfly Park committee.

Flag raising wasn’t the end of the afternoon’s celebrations. It was followed by a BBQ for 28 guests -  a great coming together of the estate, wardening and recording teams. The volunteers demonstrated their culinary skills by bringing dishes such as spinach pie and banana cake, to mention but two contributions. Despite the heavy rain, resilience was demonstrated, and the BBQ continued until 7.45pm when the light was starting to fade. There was a lot to catch up with!

BBQ in the rain!

There was also a display about Frank Cottrell’s contribution to Wirral Wildlife with photographs of him with his Frog Dip children's game at Ness Gardens, at Apple Days at Brimstage Hall orchard and at the Butterfly Park when he retired as a warden, aged 94. You are never too old to volunteer!

Mike Cottrell and Elaine Mills with the display about Frank, with Paul and Hilary

This opening season, there have been 18 open Sundays and 19 group visits, amounting to 2,138 visitors (and still counting). The volunteer event marked the end of the public opening season and the start of the winter workdays, which will be on the second Sunday of each month.

Paul Loughnane and Hilary Ash

Green Flag Judge's Report

The Butterfly Park's Green Flag award certificate

On October 12th the Green Flag judge paid a visit to New Ferry Butterfly Park to assess it.

The Park was rated Green in all categories, which means it "meets the standard with no concerns raised".

Here are a few extracts from the Report:

The site is quite small but packed with interest. Interpretation and information signage is in excellent condition.

The illustrated map shown on the entrance board at the Butterfly Park

Is there evidence that the site is managed to have a positive impact on the environment and biodiversity?

Of course, it is, this is not just a site hoping to get butterflies, it has been carefully planned in the selection of trees, shrubs and plants.

Common blue butterfly at New Ferry Butterfly Park

There is a strong volunteer group with links to educational organisations… and local companies come in for team building days.

Employees from WSP helped us celebrate the Green Flag award at a workday at the park

Final comments: 

A very impressive entrance to a very impressive site. Not only is this site steeped in history, it has been scientifically planned, cultivated for wildlife and of course butterflies. The interpretation and interactive panels keep everyone of all ages engaged in the search for knowledge without being overbearing. The artwork on these boards and information sheets have been beautifully undertaken and considering this site is run by volunteers it is a credit to them. They should be, and I am sure they are, very proud of what they have achieved.

Well Done this does deserve the green site award. In fact, think about going in for the Heritage award, with the brick making and the railway connections.

This is a ringing endorsement and an acknowledgment of all the hard work that goes in to maintaining and continually enhancing the Butterfly Park. Thank you and well done to everyone involved.

Review of 2022 at New Ferry Butterfly Park

Common blue butterfly at New Ferry Butterfly Park. Photo: June Mortazavi

New Ferry Butterfly Park is open for visiting from May to mid-September. Now we have reached the end of this year's season, here is a review of what we got up to.

In May, the Butterfly Park celebrated its 27th season of being open to the public with the unveiling of the Silver Jubilee entrance gates. 

https://wirralwildlife.blogspot.com/2022/05/two-new-sets-of-wings-for-butterfly-park.html

The Silver Jubilee gates at the Butterfly Park

Including that Open Day there were 2,453 visitors to New Ferry Butterfly Park this year, which is a good recovery in numbers from the Covid pandemic. There were 16 guided visits this year: 2 schools, 13 uniformed groups (Beavers, Rainbows etc) and 1 adult group of refugees, totalling 366 people. The Butterfly Park also welcomed Bebington Photographic Society and Cheshire Bee Group and Dr Hilary Ash gave two plant identification courses. Over the last 19 years an impressive total of 29,794 visitors have visited.

The new entrance gates have helped with raising the profile of the Butterfly Park and the regular plant stall has been an additional attraction. Thanks are due to Mike Maher for hosting the plant stall every Sunday and to the Wardening Team who all make the Park so welcoming and engaging for our visitors. Wirral Countryside Volunteers have continued to scythe the grassland, lay hedges and physically maintain the site. It is thanks to all these efforts that we were awarded a Green Flag for the tenth year running.

https://wirralwildlife.blogspot.com/2022/08/raising-green-flag-at-new-ferry.html

Raising the 2022/23 Green Flag

Sunday 18th September fell in Heritage Week and was an extra opening date. There were 60 visitors on the day including 30 for the two guided heritage walks.

On Sunday 11th and 18th September nine Eco Art flower sculptures were brought to the park, hence the extra opening on Sunday 18th. Thanks are due to June Mortazavi, John Bateman and Lynn Struve for helping in the logistics of transporting these artworks back and forth. The giant flowers were well received by the visitors.

https://wirralwildlife.blogspot.com/2022/09/eco-art-at-butterfly-park.html

White clover (left), dandelion (middle) and spear thistle (right) sculptures
made by Alison Bailey Smith from repurposed materials

We held an ‘End of Season’ BBQ for volunteers and, despite the heavy rain that afternoon, 22 people turned up. A October workday had 20 volunteers, including some students from Liverpool John Moores University Conservation Society working at the Park. Some apple pressing was expertly organised by John Bateman with 25 litres of apple juice being pressed. Volunteers got a bottle of apple juice to take home.

John Bateman collecting apples for juicing

Mashing up the apples - the start of the process of turning them into juice

Pressing juice from the apple pulp

The resulting apple juice!

We were also pleased to install two new 1000 litre translucent water butts which have now been covered in a carpet to reduce algal growth. In October the 2000 litres of water collected in them was added to the pond which had suffered from this year’s lack of rain and the water level was raised by 5cm. 

We continue to record wildlife in the Park and were thrilled by some unusual sightings. 

In May a dingy skipper butterfly, which has not been seen at the park for over two decades, was photographed.

https://wirralwildlife.blogspot.com/2022/05/two-new-sets-of-wings-for-butterfly-park.html

Dingy skipper. Photo: Roy Lowry

In June, Roy Lowry noticed a fly which struck him as very different. It was confirmed as a locust blowfly - an African species that has been reported more frequently in recent years as a vagrant in the south of England. Definitely a first for the Butterfly Park. Roy is continuing to photograph and identify insects at the Park and has recorded 34 species of hoverflies this season! 

https://wirralwildlife.blogspot.com/2022/06/a-most-unusual-visitor-to-new-ferry.html

Locust blowfly. Photo: Roy Lowry

In July Colin Millington photographed a white letter hairstreak butterfly. This species was last recorded at the Butterfly Park on 5th July 2003. We rarely see them as they are feeding on the honeydew in the tree canopy (especially on elms).

https://wirralwildlife.blogspot.com/2022/07/white-letter-day.html

White letter hairstreak butterfly. Photo: Colin Millington

These are a great endorsement of our habitat management for invertebrates at the Park.

We are now looking ahead to 2023 with our Open Day on April 30th. Hope to see you there.

Raising The Green Flag at New Ferry Butterfly Park

 

John and Jodie Bateman raising the Green Flag at the Butterfly Park

New Ferry Butterfly Park has been awarded a Green Flag Community Award for the 10th consecutive year. The award is the international quality mark for parks and green spaces.

The Green Flag Community Award 2022/2023

Any green space that is accessible to the public is eligible to enter for a Green Flag Award. They are given on an annual basis and winners must apply each year to renew it. A Green Flag Community Award recognises quality sites managed by voluntary and community groups.

The inspection visit was not announced but was by a ‘mystery’ visitor who commented that it was “...a good chill out site. You can get lost in lots of wildlife”.

Green Flag Award Keep Britain Tidy’s Accreditation Manager Paul Todd said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making New Ferry Butterfly Park worthy of a Green Flag Award. After two years that have seen our parks and green spaces play a vital role for people through lockdowns, the news that New Ferry Butterfly Park has achieved the Green Flag Award is testament to the hard work and dedication of the volunteers that make it a great space that everyone can enjoy”.

Employees from WSP help us celebrate the Green Flag award at a workday at the park

The Community Green flag was raised at the New Ferry Butterfly Park by John and Jodie Bateman on 28th July.

This was a corporate workday for thirteen WSP (William Sale Partnership) employees.

Lots was achieved: scything Charlie's Field, extensive bramble removal, plus restoring the compost bins and the former mobile allotment.

Jodie arranged the corporate workday and John organised an Astra-Zenica work party earlier in the year so we are very grateful for their support for the Park.

In past years New Ferry Butterfly Park has won the Green Flag Pollinator award and, in 2016, Green Flag awarded Hilary Ash their Volunteer of the Year Award.

New Ferry Butterfly Park is home to a wide variety of insects, including many species of hoverflies, bees, spiders and other mini-beasts, as well as the butterflies. It also has a large variety of wild flowers - and an outdoor art trail.

Visit on Sunday afternoons 12-4pm, or groups by arrangement. For more details see https://www.wirralwildlife.org.uk/new-ferry-butterfly-park

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.

New Ferry Butterfly Park: How a Derelict Site Became a Nature Reserve

Over the next few weeks we will publish several blog posts about the value and history of New Ferry Butterfly Park.

New Ferry Butterfly Park opened its gates to visitors on 15th July 1995.

This year should have been a celebration of its 25th Anniversary but that is postponed because of the Covid19 restrictions.

Over the past 25 years the reserve has become a haven for wildlife thanks to the management plans and hard work of its volunteer community. Its value has been recognised by the Awards it has received.

In 2014 we received our first Green Flag Award and raised it in the presence of the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside and the Mayor of Wirral. Each year since we have retained it.

In 2015 New Ferry Butterfly Park was thrilled to be nominated for Defra's Pollinator Champion of Champions Award. We did not win first prize but were given a winner’s certificate and we were extremely pleased to see the importance of pollinators being highlighted.

Last year (2019) the Park received the Liverpool Echo Environmental Award in the Community Impact category. This was in recognition of the role the Park plays in the local community.

Under normal circumstances the New Ferry Butterfly Park Opening Day on the first Sunday in May is a feature of the local New Ferry calendar, attracting in the region of 800 - 1000 people in recent years.

Local people regularly visit on Sundays from May to the beginning of September when we are open from 12 – 4 p.m. We have three guided trails with leaflets: a Nature Trail, Art Trail and History Trail.

As well as these activities, pond dipping is supervised by the wardens and everyone is thrilled to see the newts and other water creatures.

Local schools, especially St John’s and Grove Street, use the Park for class visits in the summer term. Many uniformed organisations and other groups, varying in age from toddlers to the more mature like U3A, visit each summer for guided tours. At the end of a visit younger children do a craft activity.

Last year (2019), including Open Day, Sunday afternoons and booked visits, we had 3000 visitors.

The nature reserve is thriving and a future post will show some of its inhabitants. We hope that we will soon be able to resume our many community interactions.

Butterfly Park recognised as one of UK’s best green spaces

This year a record number of parks and green spaces have collected a Green Flag Award. Wirral Borough has 27 for public parks, plus just one Community Award – New Ferry Butterfly Park.

The Park is among a record-breaking 1,970 UK parks and green spaces and 131 in thirteen other countries around the world, that have received a prestigious Green Flag Award – the mark of a quality park or green space.

This international award, now into its third decade, is a sign to the public that the space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities.

New Ferry Butterfly Park is a community-run nature reserve developed on the former railway sidings at Bebington station. It is a nature reserve of Cheshire Wildlife Trust. The park is home to at least 17 breeding species of butterflies, plus many bees, spiders, woodlice, hoverflies, other mini-beasts and a pond with smooth newts. It also has an art trail and industrial history trail. It is open to the public every Sunday afternoon, 12-4 pm, until the 8 September. Guided groups can be arranged at other times.

Hilary Ash said: “We are delighted to receive a Green Flag Award for the 7th year. We know how much quality green spaces matter to residents and visitors, and this award celebrates the dedication that goes into maintaining the Butterfly Park to such a high standard. The Park is run by volunteers, and new helpers are always welcome, whether to do practical work, wardening, leading groups or fund-raising.” Find information about the Park on www.wirralwildlife.org.uk and www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk or ring 0151 327 5923.

International Green Flag Award scheme manager Paul Todd said: “It’s fantastic that we have more Green Flag Awards in the UK than ever before, joined this year by 131 International winners.”

“Each flag honours the thousands of staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award. We congratulate each and every winner on their fantastic achievement.”

Green Flag Awarded To Butterfly Park

Chair of Wildlife Trust slices a brimstone butterfly in half with a billhook…

New Ferry Butterfly Park, adjacent to Bebington Station, has been recognised as one of the UK’s very best green spaces, receiving a prestigious Green Flag Community Award for 2018-2019.

To celebrate, the volunteers held a BBQ and invited Chris Koral, the Chair of Cheshire Wildlife Trust, to raise the Green Flag and join in the fun with the volunteers.

Chris Koral, before raising Green Flag, said "What a great community asset the park is and how it has moved on considerably in the last three years since my previous visit, with more bio-diverse habitats, artworks and a greater engagement with the public. It is a great tribute to the work of a dedicated volunteer group and is exactly where the wildlife trust movement should be.’ This is Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s only reserve with a Green Flag.

Chris was handed a Yorkshire billhook to cut the yellow brimstone butterfly cake. Brimstone butterflies were first recorded breeding in Wirral at New Ferry Butterfly Park in 2014 and have remained constant residents ever since. As a thank you for being our guest of honour, Chris was given a fitting book, Butterflies of Cheshire, which contains a favourable mention of New Ferry Butterfly Park.

Paul Loughnane, Honorary Secretary of New Ferry Butterfly Park, said, “This is a record breaking summer season for the number of visiting groups to the park and for some of our butterfly residents at the park. It is great to have the volunteers’ BBQ where we can all relax instead of working. The Green Flag Award is a real pat on the back for all those volunteers involved with the habitat management and those who engage with the public and visiting groups. This year the park was judged by a mystery shopper!”

The park is open on sunny summer Sunday afternoons, 12-4pm until the close of this year’s season on Sunday 9th September. On this date there will be a free heritage walk at 2 p.m. (no need to book, just turn up) describing how the industrial nature of the site has benefited wildlife here.

New Ferry Butterfly Park Is Flying The Flag

Our reserve, New Ferry Butterfly Park, has been recognised by the Green Flag Award Scheme as one of the very best in the world. 

The Park is among a record-breaking 1,797 UK parks and green spaces that have received a prestigious Green Flag Award – the mark of a quality park or green space.

This international award, now into its third decade, is a sign to the public that the space boasts the highest possible environmental standards.

Paul Loughnane, Secretary, said: “We are absolutely delighted to again receive a Green Flag Award. We know how much quality green spaces matter to residents and visitors, and this award celebrates the dedication of our volunteers who maintain New Ferry Butterfly Park to such a high standard’’. International Green Flag Award scheme manager Paul Todd said: “We are delighted to be celebrating another record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award scheme. Each flag is a celebration of the thousands of staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award. The success of the scheme, especially in these challenging times, demonstrates just how much parks matter to people.”

The Green Flag was raised on Sunday August 13th by Mary Worrall, Senior Manager, Parks and Countryside, Wirral Borough Council.

Afterwards everyone enjoyed the barbecue.

Trophy for Green Flag Volunteer of the Year

Last week, we posted the details of Hilary Ash's Green Flag Volunteer of the Year award.

Here are some photos of the trophy: