BugWise

About the hill-topping butterfly project 

A project to develop community workshops was recently announced by the Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change, Environment & Water (Environment) to raise community awareness about butterfly species and how we impact on them.  The Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment Management Authority has provided funds to enable butterfly scientists from the Australian Museum to assist the Department of Environment and Climate Change with the development of a survey program. The project team will run community training days in the identification of hill-topping butterfly species and threats from disturbance to their populations and habitats. 

What is a hill-topping butterfly?

Many butterfly species tend to congregate on hill or ridge tops that are higher than the surrounding countryside. They act as a focus for meeting. Hilltops and slopes can become unsuitable for butterflies if disturbed. The loss of or degradation of these habitats has been listed as a Key Threatening process under Schedule 3 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. Hill-topping butterflies include many spectacular ones, some of which are widely recognised to most observers and include Painted Ladys; Australian Admirals, Variable Dusky Blues, Jezebels, Common and Dingy Brown Ringlets. Find out about this threatening process here: http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/profile.aspx?id=20007

The project will sample a small number of sites identifying actions to protect hill-topping butterflies. The project has been funded until June 2008 and will be limited to sampling a small selection of sites that the Australian Museum scientists assisted by staff from DECC are currently engaged in identifying.

The first workshop conducted on Saturday November 10, 2007 at Berowra and Dural was fully booked with attendees from a diversity of interest groups including land care, bush care, council, consultants and nurseries. Participants were given instruction on how to look for butterflies, obtained information on host plant species and given a introductory course on how to identify butterflies - including how to use the BugWise butterfly guide.

Keep watch for further details about upcoming workshops and results about this important project!