Butterfly Conservation in Europe by Guest Blogger John Gower

“I call the United States my home, but butterfly conservation efforts are taking place around the world. Butterfly Conservation in Europe is one such effort that guest blogger, John Gower has graciously offered to give us an in depth look into in this blog entry.” – Elizabeth Mann, writer and creator of Elizabeth’s Secret garden

Article By Guest Blogger John Gower

Butterflies are a necessary component of many good environments. They are important pollinators, indicate the ecological quality in a given habitat and make up an important component in the food chain. In exchange, they’re very rarely a threat to plants, animals or the environment. They’re beautiful, benign, and useful.

Facing dangers like urbanization, pollution, industrialization and more, butterflies are facing tough times around the world, including in Europe. With all of these factors working against their survival, it’s more important than ever to work to preserve the lives of butterflies. Luckily, a number of groups exist which are fighting to save the butterfly population in Europe, an issue discussed in greater detail below.

 
Deforestations is threatening butterflies around the world. Photo above depicts deforestation in Central America.

What is Butterfly Conservation?

Conservation is a movement in the social, environmental and political sense, which seeks to protect natural resources. These resources include animals, plants and fungi as well as their natural habitats. Conservationists aim to protect the resources well into the foreseeable future, allowing animals and plants to survive despite negative human impact.

Butterfly conservation then is the act of conserving butterflies and moths. Butterfly conservation is widely practiced and includes the preservation of butterfly’s natural habitats.

Who Runs European Butterfly Conservation?

Groups dedicated to butterfly conservation are scattered throughout Europe. Butterfly Conservation Europe was started by several of these organizations in November of 2004 to serve as a sort of “parent organization.”(1) Organizations that helped to found the initiative include the Dutch Butterfly Conservation and Butterfly Conservation (UK). These groups are two of the premier butterfly conservation groups in Europe, though several other countries also have conservation foundations.

What are the Goals of Conservation Groups?

Butterfly conservation groups in Europe typically share a set of similar goals, enacted in part by Butterfly Conservation Europe. First, they generally work to enact a variety of programs to record and monitor the well being of the many species of butterflies. Conservation groups provide advice about maintaining butterfly habitats and preserving endangered species. They provide education about issues surrounding conservation and advocate for better conservation practices. This advocacy might come in the form of legislation, financial aid, educational initiatives and more. And of course, conservation groups aim to teach everyone to cherish the butterflies and moths around them.

How Does the Conservation Process Work?

The conservation process is not a step-by-step process. Instead, it must change according to the climate and circumstances of the times. Typically speaking, conservation groups will start by setting some goals regarding what they hope to do. The goals might include preservation levels, initiatives to enact and legislation to pursue. A conservation group then pursues their goals based upon the needs of the butterflies in their region, the political/social environment, financial factors and other issues impacting conservation work.

Are the Foundations Available to Visit?

Many of the butterfly conservation groups have locations that you can visit. Throughout England are local branches of Butterfly Conservation (UK). You can visit the local branches to see butterflies, learn about preserving them and to get involved with butterfly conservation in the area. The Dutch Butterfly Conservation has similar local options available, as do many other European butterfly conservation groups. Just check out the areas you’re planning to visit to see if there’s a butterfly conservation group in the vicinity.

Butterflies are declining in population around the world and specifically in Europe. Important members of the ecosystem, it’s necessary to preserve the livelihood of the species. These conservation groups are working hard to make sure that butterflies live on, not going extinct as humans encroach upon their habitats and homes.

Learn more about Butterfly Conservation Europe  http://www.bc-europe.eu/

John Gower is a writer for NerdWallet, a site dedicated to helping consumers find the best rates for credit cards.