There used to be a well established colony of the rare Duke of Burgundy butterfly at Little Hidden Farm in Hungerford Newtown but numbers have been falling over recent years. To help them recover, the habitat has to be maintained as they are very specific about where they like to lay their eggs and they’re fussy little critters about where they like to live too.

Bill Acworth was the inspiration behind the project to support these magical insects; butterflies have to be some of the most spectacular of animals and Little Hidden Farm is abundant with loads of different species, particularly in the summer.  Watch this short video for an insight into the life of one of the species of this fascinating insect.

We’re trying to encourage even more butterflies to the farm and the work involves clearing blackthorn and other vegetation and planting trees and mulching their bases to reduce competing vegetation growth.

How to get involved

If you’re interested in helping please contact Trevor Howard on 07501 886 441 or teeyaitch@googlemail.com

The next working party dates are Sat 21 Feb and then Sun 1 Mar.  We meet at 10am at Little Hidden Farm, robust clothing & footwear are a must & bring a packed lunch.  Tools required can be supplied at the farm and we usually work through until mid-afternoon depending on the weather and the tasks in hand.