APPROVAL has been granted for funding for a nature conservation project in the Borders with focus on a rare butterfly.  

The Species-Rich Grassland project aims to support and develop a sustainable approach to hill farming and land management in the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway over the next six years.

The project is due to start “shortly” with a focus on the conservation of the Northern Brown Argus Butterfly with funding approved by the Borderlands partnership board.

Euan Jardine, leader of Scottish Borders Council and Borderlands Partnership co-chair, said: “This project is the first to start delivery in our Natural Capital Scotland programme.

“It is an innovative project looking at how to develop and harness the benefits of the natural capital of our region, working closely with farmers to improve their land while also increasing the bio-diversity and improving the natural capital of the Borderlands region.”

The butterfly used to be widespread throughout the country, but its population has fallen 56 per cent between 1990 and 2018.

The population decrease has largely been due to the caterpillar only eating one plant, the Common Rock Rose which is found only in species-rich grassland, which has seen a decrease of 90 per cent throughout the UK.

The Butterfly Conservation charity will trial a series of experimental techniques at farms, using the butterfly as a flagship for the protection and creation of flower-rich grassland.  

Dr Tom Prescott, Butterfly Conservation’s head of conservation for Scotland, said: "This is a hugely exciting project for us. With this funding we can employ a dedicated project officer to work with farmers to maintain and enhance habitat for rare butterflies and other wildlife.

"One of the reasons that people love this part of Scotland is that so much of the land is still managed in traditional ways that benefit wildlife, so if we can prove that landowners can maintain and restore important habitats then it preserves that Borders magic for visitors and the people and wildlife that live here."

The project is part of the Borderlands Natural Capital Scotland Programme, made up of six projects aimed at supporting innovative ways to work with the environment, land use planning and management.

Funding for the project has been given by the UK and Scottish Government as part of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal.