Island Life Magazine Ltd April/May 2014 | Page 61

COUNTRY LIFE 4. Dark green fritillary This large butterfly feeds on violets so has been attracted to the reserve by the pale violets flowering on the open heathland. All the fritillary species are declining in Britain, and on the Island the dark green is little known beyond the chalk grasslands. Despite its name, it is a large orange butterfly. It is fairly easy to spot as it flits around the heathland in late June and July. The new visitor experience Photo: T he visitor experience ha s been tra nsformed for you ngsters Your local Wildlife Trust The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust works to create a better future for wildlife and wild places in Hampshire and the Island. As the leading local wildlife conservation charity, it looks after 57 wildlife reserves, has 28,000 members and 1,000 volunteers. The Trust manages its own land and advises other landowners how to manage their land with wildlife in mind. Staff and volunteers also carry out surveys and gather data to monitor how our local wildlife is doing. Find out more at www. hiwwt.org.uk. Beechcroft House, Vicarage Lane, Curdridge, Hampshire SO32 2DP Tel: 01489 774400 www.hiwwt.org.uk Four species now thriving 1. Dodder Before the restoration, just a single specimen of this parasitic plant was known to exist on the site; now it is rapidly spreading across the heathland. In the summer its red thr