More good news!

[Owl-Light]

Originally Posted by honeybee

email glos wildlife they may know... I heard early on they were doing well but don't know the situation now. You can listen again to 'today' can't you on net?

In my experience Glos Wildlife Trust don't respond to emails. Or maybe its just me *shrug*.

[honeybee]

actually that's a sore point with a friend of mine...usually helpful if you call them.

[Owl-Light]

Originally Posted by honeybee

actually that's a sore point with a friend of mine...usually helpful if you call them.

Alot of wildlife based sites are like that I find. It does my head in. I know financial resources are tight but in their place I'd employ someone or ask for a volunteer just to respond to emails, if the problem is too high a volume of them. I'd volunteer myself if they advertised for that kind of assistance.

Building good and active relationships with the public has to he a high priority if they want to raise funds and ignoring emails ain't gonna help.

Hmm... it seems to be a sore point with me too

[Mr Mag00]

LOL
about 1 hour 45 minutes in... and he called him Dr Geofrey Thomas rofl!!!! and he called it the 'Great Blue', its gets no better than this, although he did correct himself.

o... if you're in Dorset and see a big blue butterfly flapping around... you'll all know what it is"

Hahahahahaha absolutely appaling end to the piece and nothing pees off us amatuer/professional ecologists and environmantalists than this sort of inaccurate waffle, see my thread about minibeasts ( ). Jeremy will have been spitting his coffee all over the place if that wasnt live.

well that has answered my query they are not in Dorset yet, the reason i would like to have found where in Dorset if they were present as it would have pointed at a possible non project release, from the last time i spoke to them. there are suitable positions in Dorset but there are no historical records for the sp in Dorset. There are many over zealous twitchers of leps who were trying to establish their own small colonies by sneaking on sites and collecting eggs and adults . many of the sites were kept secret for many years.

Alan, yes it has some very strong foot holds in europe as it did here in the UK for many years, there are also a number of sub species too if i remember correctly. the original individuals for this project came from some in scandinavia i think, as they were almost 100% identical, genetically.

[Paul mabbott]

I agree and I don't think we should refer to the large blue as an 'endangered' species when it is actually an *extinct* one! I sometimes wonder that some people are devoting too much attention to such butterflies when they might be worrying more about less flashy but truly threatened species. Hopefully, they are improving and conserving the habitat so that will benefit lots of other insects?

Originally Posted by Alan

I believe I'm right in saying that if you look at Europe as a whole, it's not a particlularly rare species. True?

[Mr Mag00]

Hopefully, they are improving and conserving the habitat so that will benefit lots of other insects?

you are absolutely right, on the sites where the work has been carried out the other invertebrate sp have benefited incredibly and some have been naturally recolonised by sp from the surrounding areas, not only invertebrates have benefited. The sites were/are always thoroughly sampled and recorded before the release took place sometimes for up to 5 years as the management was implemented, and the right level of M.Sabuleti and wild thyme were reached.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by Sheryl LaBouchardiere

Alot of wildlife based sites are like that I find. It does my head in. I know financial resources are tight but in their place I'd employ someone or ask for a volunteer just to respond to emails, if the problem is too high a volume of them. I'd volunteer myself if they advertised for that kind of assistance.

Building good and active relationships with the public has to he a high priority if they want to raise funds and ignoring emails ain't gonna help.

Hmm... it seems to be a sore point with me too

lad I know desperatley wants to be an ecologist and has just graduated, is VOing with BTCV and really wanted to volunteer with glos wildlife, he was gonna do some course with them and he kept emailing, they said they'd email him but didn't, then got an email to say he'd missed out coz he hadn't responded in time!!

[Owl-Light]

Originally Posted by honeybee

lad I know desperatley wants to be an ecologist and has just graduated, is VOing with BTCV and really wanted to volunteer with glos wildlife, he was gonna do some course with them and he kept emailing, they said they'd email him but didn't, then got an email to say he'd missed out coz he hadn't responded in time!!

There you go, see thats just what I mean. Missed opportunities on both sides and a bad experience for your friend. One that no doubt he'll carry with him at least for a while.