Rosalind Mackay, Museum of Zoology, writes:

I am currently studying for a master’s in the Department of Zoology here at the University of Cambridge. My project is about insect conservation and public engagement. These two seemingly disparate aspects are connected by the intervention we’re trialling. Prof Ed Turner, my supervisor, has been collaborating with the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire for several years on a project installing mounds of earth called butterfly banks into their nature reserves. Since I joined the project in September, we’ve extended this trial to Wiltshire, in collaboration with the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and RSPB. Others in my lab, particularly Matt Hayes, have been studying how butterflies use the banks to shelter from extreme weather such as heatwaves. I’m extending this to all ground-dwelling minibeasts, using data collected over the years in Bedfordshire as well as collecting my own data in all the sites.

The second part of my project is a survey about how people respond to the butterfly banks. The banks aren’t particularly aesthetically appealing – their purpose is to provide shelter rather than foodplants, so they often have a lot of bare soil, especially at first. Because of this, I’m expecting them to be quite controversial. I’m also investigating how the banks can teach people about conservation and climate change. There’s a lot of evidence that many people remember information better if they see a visual representation of the information. So I’ve installed some information posters around the reserves where the banks are, to see if they can help to engage people. If you’re visiting Totternhoe Quarry or Pegsdon Hills in Bedfordshire, or Coombe Bissett Down or Winterbourne Downs in Wiltshire, keep an eye out for my posters and survey! Every response counts.