Conservation just won’t work unless conservationists do it.

The Barberry Carpet moth is one of the UK’s most endangered species. However, there’s been a resurgence in numbers thanks to the replanting of native barberry in Blandford Forest by volunteers under The Forestry England and Butterfly Conservation project. At one stage larvae were down to a single bush but now at one site larvae were found on nearly every bush.

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So what, you may wonder. Well, just imagine if those volunteers had been responsible! That is to say, responsible in the eccentric meaning of the term that Britain implies applies to most metal detectorists even though the majority are non-reporting, uncooperative and self-seeking. Let’s not beat about the bush, if nature lovers were that sort of responsible there’d be no Barberry Carpet moths left, not one, nor a whole bunch of other butterflies and moths and animals and fish.

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More Heritage Journal views on artefact collecting

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