Sheepdrove Organic Farm is developing a sanctuary for butterflies at a restored chalk downland field in Berkshire and in a hidden valley where the Vale of the White Horse gallops onto the Lambourn Downs – special project areas totalling 6.4 hectares.

Having escaped the plough for centuries, a part of Bockhampton Down and a steep bank at Cockcrow Bottom hosts a variety of chalk grassland wildflowers, including Devil's-bit Scabious – the caterpillar food plant for Marsh Fritillary. This rare and threatened butterfly survives at one very isolated colony on the far side of Lambourn, some 3km away.

The farm’s resident naturalist, Jason Ball, realised they had a potential extra site for Marsh Fritillary, if only they could manage the habitat to suit it. Butterfly Conservation, Natural England, Flora Locale, BBOWT and the Lambourn Valley Countryside Project all helped to inform the restorative management. The Forestry Commission also helped enormously by agreeing changes in management for a tree plantation to retain the sheltered edge habitat zones which serve as excellent nectar sources for butterflies including Brown Argus and Small Tortoiseshell – and should be valuable to new butterfly species, should they attempt to colonise.

During 2009, Natural England agreed to fund extra capital and annual grants (in Stewardship) for the farm to improve the availability of host plants, re-fence and graze with cattle. The farm established extra colonies of Devil's-bit Scabious for Marsh Fritillary, Kidney Vetch for Small Blue, and Horseshoe Vetch for Chalkhill Blue.

The first year’s grazing went well, giving the target grassland a varied structure, and high numbers of scabious. As management improves the potential for these priority species of butterfly to start new breeding colonies in the Lambourn Downs, the chalk flora community will benefit too. The project at Sheepdrove shows the potential for more such sites across the local landscape.

This project has already had a success story as Small Blue's are now breeding at Sheepdrove!  

Read the full story on the Sheepdrove Organic Farm website.