Butterfly Conservation Big in the UK

While officials in Denver, Colorado took a decidedly ant-bug stance with their ban on backyard beekeeping, folks in the UK are making an effort to conserve their insects.

Photo: © Flickr user Strange Ones

A group called Ledbury in Bloom received a grant to begin transformation of the town's Riverside Walk into an insect oasis. With the help of volunteers, they'll plant native British species of flowers and shrubs to attract and shelter indigenous wildlife, including butterflies. The group is also considering restoration of an existing grassland into a flower meadow.

In St. Albans, construction has begun on a 26-acre insect conservation center. Scheduled to open in 2011, the center will house thousands of live insects and arthropods, and will include a walk through butterfly exhibit with over 10,000 live tropical butterflies. Butterfly expert Clive Farrel is spearheading the St. Albans butterfly project.