Caithness Environment Volunteers improve habitat for butterflies and bumblebees

Soggy conditions failed to dampen the spirits of a group of Caithness Environment Volunteers at Castlehill as they got on with tasks aimed at improving the habitat for the Small Blue butterfly and bumblebees including the Great Yellow.

Caithness remains a stronghold for these insects, though they are uncommon and under pressure so "need all the support they can get", according to the group's secretary Mary Legg. The work on Sunday included removing dominant plants and shrubs to allow nectar and pollen-rich species to flourish.

The volunteers were supported by project officers from Species on the Edge, a partnership programme by NatureScot and nature conservation charities to help populations of the Small Blue and the Great Yellow as well as other threatened species.

The next event will be in Sibster woodland, near Georgemas Junction, on Sunday, June 18, starting at 10.30am. The volunteers will be working with Forestry and Land Scotland to improve the biodiversity of the woodland.

Caithness Environment Volunteers is the charity formerly known as Caithness Countryside Volunteers.

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