East Haven, Angus
Small Blue Butterfly
Volunteers from across Angus have worked in partnership with East of Scotland Butterfly Conservation, Tayside Biodiversity Partnership and NatureScot to protect the Small Blue. This rare butterfly is the UK's smallest and a protected species.
The Small Blue is surviving on the Angus coast due to the way in which people have worked together to make a difference to the species. Very much in the same way that people pulled together during the pandemic to look after one another. The Carnoustie Butterfly was therefore created in the shape of the Small Blue. A reminder of the resilience of the community and the hope of recovery which the Small Blue brings
Carnoustie Golf Links and Woodlands Primary School have been particularly involved in conservation work along with community groups such as Food is Free, East Haven Together and Colourful Carnoustie. Their work to bring the Small Blue butterfly Back from the Brink was recognised by a Nature of Scotland Award in Dec 2019.
The children at Woodlands Primary school are the only Small Blue Champions in Scotland.
Can you spot the stone on the right in the Butterfly?
It pays tribute to the work the children have carried out to conserve this precious butterfly.
Species on the Edge
Kidney Vetch is the sole food plant of the Small Blue. Volunteers have planted it along the coast from Barry Buddon up towards Montrose to provide a food corridor. Whilst the butterfly does not normally fly more than 50 metres, gravid females have been known to fly up to 3km in search of Kidney Vetch on which to lay their eggs.
Rockin' the Blues
Species on the Edge is a bold and ambitious partnership of eight of Scotland’s nature conservation organisations striving to conserve Scotland’s native wildlife.
Rockin’ the Blues aims to implement further conservation action to preserve populations of Small Blue butterflies on the coast of Angus
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