Elisabeth Baudoul is a European Solidarity Corps volunteer from Belgium. She started her placement in the North of Scotland in July and will finish at the end of October. She is working with our Reserves Project Officer, Beth Harwood undertaking a variety of practical management and species survey tasks on our reserves in the North of Scotland. Here is another of her blogs documenting her time with us.

Every month in the North of Scotland, volunteering days are organized at different Scottish Wildlife Trust reserves. Local people usually join the team and help us with a plethora of outdoor tasks. It creates a mix of lovely people from all backgrounds and generations who roll up their sleeves and act. I have been positively surprised to see how many local people are involved in wildlife conservation and are in general, sensitive to nature-related topics. Simply by turning on the radio, you are easily aware of this fact. Caring for ecosystems is obviously a priority and I do think it is an inspiring model to be followed.

A new butterfly scrape at Spey Bay © Beth Harwood

On our recent volunteering day, we dug some butterfly scrapes on grasslands at Spey Bay reserve. This involves digging up and removing the upper and nutrient rich layer of a patch of soil. This will encourage pioneering plant species to colonise which need bare ground and can capitalise on disturbed environments. Many insect species, including butterflies, depend on a few or even sometimes only one plant species called “foodplant”. From breeding to feeding, they need their foodplant(s) to survive. As an example, at Spey Bay, we hope to encourage the occurrence of the Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria) which is the main foodplant of the Small Blue (Cupido minimus). These bare patches of ground also provide a sheltered space for butterflies to bask in the sun away from the wind. Scrapes also create a patchwork of habitats which helps encourage greater biodiversity on the reserve.

Volunteers creating a butterfly scrape at Spey Bay © Eli Baudoul

The Butterfly Conservation website is a goldmine if you want more information.

Elisabeth Baudoul