Butterflies of Quarry Wildlife Haven

There is a chance to discover some of the amazing wildlife thriving in the quarries of Portland this June. Long celebrated for its limestone, which can still be recognised on many of London’s finest buildings, Portland also has a reputation for the astonishing array of butterflies enjoying the shelter of now disused workings.

A butterfly walk at Dorset Wildlife Trust’s King Barrow Quarries, led by an expert conservationist, takes place in the morning of Wednesday 9th June, a perfect time of the year to see these delicate insects on the wing. Joy Wallis, Dorset Wildlife Trust’s People & Wildlife Coordinator, will identify and explain the chosen habitat and most preferred feeding plants of the butterflies that visit this disused quarry, such as the Adonis and chalkhill blues, just some of the many species likely to be seen.

Nature reclaims disused quarry

Joy says: “This abandoned limestone quarry is within the Isle of Purbeck’s Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The site, unworked for more than 100 years, is now a fragile habitat that has allowed wildlife to reassert itself in the old derelict workings. Bats inhabit the stone walls and tunnels and birds and insects thrive in this unexploited environment; butterflies, especially, enjoy the many wildflowers and plants, which have re-established themselves over time on the shorter calcareous grassland there.”

The Butterfly Walk at King Barrow Quarries, costing £1, is on Wednesday 9th June at 11am and finishes at about 1pm. Come with sturdy footwear; walk not suitable for those with limited mobility. Participants should meet at the name stone, on Yeates Road, just off the A354, Portland (SY 690728).

For more information about the guided walk please contact Joy Wallis on 01305 264620.

Find out more...

Click here for more information about our King Barrow Quarries reserve.

There are more butterfly walks taking place across Dorset throughout the summer.  Click here to search for butterfly walks in our events finder.