The wild,wild wood

Jessie Anderson visits Mabie Forest in Dumfries,a haven for wildlife and visitors alike.

With the number of butterflies and moths in serious decline in many parts of Britain, any efforts to reverse this trend must be welcome. So the opening of a new nature reserve at Mabie Forest near Dumfries in south-west Scotland was particularly good news.

For this 100 hectare reserve within the forest is providing ideal diverse habitats for a variety of Scotland's rarest wildlife. Working in partnership with Butterfly Conservation and other organisations, Forestry Commission Scotland is now providing a safe haven for more than 20 species of butterfly and, it is estimated, around 500 species of moth, including three of the United Kingdom's most threatened – the Pearl- Bordered Fritillary, the unfortunately named Dingy Skipper and the beautiful, day-flying Forester Moth.

Being at both the northerly and southerly edges for a wide variety of species, Mabie is one of the richest sites for butterflies in Scotland. It is also home to dragonflies, damselflies, owls, bats, woodpeckers, night jars and red squirrels, and the Forestry Commission, through careful monitoring and planning, is committed to ensuring a sustainable future for all its wildlife.

Mabie Forest, spreading over about 1000 hectares, is primarily a working forest but, as Community and Education Ranger, Robin Fuller observes, nature conservation and recreation both have a high priority here Butterflies need a mixture of sunny glades and shady areas and continuous management is needed to provide these.

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• By : Jesse Anderson
• In : Wildlife
• Issue : 40
• Page : 46
• Words : 679