Wildlife Wednesday: Longleat Forest spotlight

Wildlife Wednesday: Longleat Forest spotlight

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Wildlife during closure

Longleat Forest is a perfect escape for nature lovers. With over 400 acres of forest and breath-taking views courtesy of the rolling hills and valleys, it is a real haven for wildlife. Whilst our villages were closed to guests and a large proportion of colleagues, our permanent residents of the Forest remained – the Wildlife.

At first glance, the village was quiet and still, until you looked a little closer and you could an abundancy of forest animals nestled amongst the growth between lodges. Jason Budd (Security Officer), took the chance to capture wildlife in the forest; especially the beautiful and energetic deer!

Longleat Forest reawakened

The reawakening process saw us reopening the doors to our guests and the forest is now a hive of activity once again. Amongst the hustle and bustle, Steve Norris our Education Ranger has taken time to spot the smaller of our forest inhabitants… butterflies!

Last week, we were extremely lucky as Steve had managed to spot a rare butterfly for this area. The Clouded Yellow pictured, was seen enjoying flora at The Wild Flower Meadow. The Clouded Yellow has never been seen before at Longleat Forest so we were delighted to have a picture too.

Steve’s role as the Educational Ranger is important for us here on village as he educates guests and colleagues. He taught us that the butterfly called Small Copper is sadly declining, but we still have a small popular here at Longleat Forest. He advises that if you look close enough at the wildflower meadow near to the lake, you might just spot one as he did this week.

The Big Butterfly Count 

Butterfly Conservation’s “The Big Butterfly Count” is a UK-wide survey that assesses the health of our environment. This is simply done by counting the amount and type of butterflies (and some day-flying moths) we see.

This is something you can get involved in if you’re on one of our villages this week, or at home. But hurry, this ends Sunday 9th August!

To get involved in The Big Butterfly Count, or to find out more simply click here.