Very excited about our new paper! Lisbeth Hordley & I show that if you have long grass in your garden you’ll see more butterflies, that more long grass is better & that the effects are greater for gardens in more urban & arable landscapes. sciencedirect.com/science/articl… 🧵

The increase in butterfly abundance in gardens with long grass was driven by butterfly species whose caterpillars feed on grasses, suggesting that leaving grass to grow is creating potential breeding habitat for butterflies

Our study also assessed the butterfly benefits of having flowering ivy in your garden. GB gardens with flowering ivy had over 30% more sightings of Holly Blue butterflies in the late summer & autumn. Caterpillars of this butterfly feed on ivy buds. sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Butterfly Conservation 🦋 Team4Nature NearbyWild #RewildTheEarth 🍃💚🍃 Having flowering ivy in your garden also increased the numbers of Red Admiral & Comma butterflies seen in autumn - two butterfly species that are fond of ivy nectar sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Butterfly Conservation 🦋 Team4Nature NearbyWild #RewildTheEarth 🍃💚🍃 Dave Goulson Wildlife Garden Project Let it grow & butterflies will come. Here’s a Speckled Wood egg on a blade of grass in my garden last yr - just in a narrow strip of long grass by the hedge. Anyone with an outdoor space can help - see wild-spaces.co.uk for fantastic advice for your garden, patio or balcony