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No. 46 NEWSLETTER Summer 2000
WEST MIDLANDS BRANCH, BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION
Reports on Events
Spring Meeting
Around 25 members attended the Spring Meeting held at Bishops Wood Environmental
Centre on April 8. The programme started with a very interesting talk by David
Whitehorne of the Malvern Hills Conservators on the recent management
initiatives on the Malvern Hills. David showed how the hills were rapidly
becoming covered by scrub, encroaching on the grass covered tops of the hills.
He outlined the new management plan which was intended to restore the hills to
the 1990 levels of grassland. This was to be achieved by mechanical scrub
removal and also the re-introduction of grazing on the hills. These changes were
greatly welcomed by Butterfly Conservation as they would be of considerable
benefit to the High Brown and Pearl-bordered Fritillaries . David also described
the various conflicting interests on the hills and how the Conservators were
boldly tackling these issues.
Following refreshments, Phil Hopson presented a very challenging quiz. In a
close contest, the Southwell family were declared the winners and now have the
privilege of providing the quiz next year. We were then entertained by slides
from John Reeve, David Porter and Digby Wood. David’s slides of butterfly eggs
were particularly interesting.
Neil Gregory and Steve Harper showed the latest versions of the branch web sites
for moths and butterflies. I am sure these will prove popular with members.
Finally, again many thanks to all those who brought refreshments and helped with
the arrangements.
Ian Duncan
WM Branch hosts National AGM
February 26th, 2000 might have been a typical February day, grey and cloudy with
more than a hint of drizzle; fortunately for West Midlands Branch it was not.
The clouds dispersed and the sun shone revealing the Malvern Hills at their
spectacular best – a perfect setting for the national AGM. Every branch of
Butterfly Conservation was represented amongst those who attended including 60
members from West Midlands.
There were some 20 stalls selling books, paintings, scientific equipment and
related goods and also a number of stands from wildlife organisations dispensing
information and recruiting members. West Midlands Branch mounted a display of
moth photographs and notes on local sightings.
The speakers Martin Young, Jerry Gissop, Ruth Feber and John Cousins presented
various aspects of the theme “Butterflies and Moths in the Wider Countryside”
Organising the national AGM required a great deal of time and effort (and not a
little worry): Ian Duncan and Digby Wood were at the helm but thanks are due to
all those who contributed to what must rank as one of the most successful
national meetings. The site was perfect, the programme ran smoothly, and the
weather was memorable.
Christine Chance
Presentation to Mike Williams
For some while now, your Committee have been wanting to mark our appreciation of
Mike William’s contribution to West Midlands Branch and to Butterfly
Conservation in general, and when we were asked to organise the National Society
AGM, we realised that this would be an eminently suitable occasion for making
some sort of presentation. Several ideas for an appropriate present were put
forward and were being followed up when, out of the blue, came a phone call from
John Reeve offering the perfect answer. John is a long-standing Member of the
Branch and, apart from his butterfly expertise, he is a very talented artist and
no mean photographer to boot. He had read the articles in the 21st Anniversary
Newsletter covering the Branch's origin and development and the dominant part
that Mike Williams had played throughout and immediately offered to give the
Branch one of his superb water-colours for presentation. Knowing Mike's key role
in the acquisition of the Monkwood Reserve to preserve the Wood White, what
could be more fitting as the subject for the picture that he chose to present
than "Wood Whites in Monkwood".
Thus it was that on the 26th February 2000 in West Midlands Branch's 21st year,
at the National Society's AGM, the National Society's Chairman Steven Jeffcoate
read out a citation detailing Mike's contribution to both Branch and Society.
Then amidst very generous applause from the 300 Members present, he called Mike
to the rostrum to receive his picture.
We are all very grateful to John Reeve for enabling us to show our thanks to
Mike in this tangible way, and we know that Mike is delighted with his picture.
Digby Wood
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