The National Trust Reveals Butterflies are Back This Summer

The National Trust has revealed that this summer looks set to be the best for butterflies in more than 30 years.

2011-06-16

SWINDON, ENGLAND, June 16, 2011 (Press-News.org) The National Trust has announced that this summer looks set to be the best for butterflies in more than 30 years as population's boom, sales of butterfly products increase and butterfly imagery is adopted by big high street brands.

At the half way point in the butterfly season there has been a number of record breaking early appearances from spring species thanks to the warm and dry weather, especially in April.

The favourable conditions are also leading experts to predict that a number of species will produce extra generations this year.

Matthew Oates, wildlife adviser and butterfly expert at the National Trust said: "It has been a fantastic start to 2011 for Britain's butterflies with a White Admiral appearing at Bookham Common in Surrey at its earliest since 1893, the White-letter Hairstreak appearing more than two weeks early at Rodborough Common in Gloucestershire and Marbled Whites and Meadow Browns a week to ten days early at Denbies in Surrey and Exmoor.

"The populations of spring butterflies are as good as they can be. There may even be significant second broods for the Duke of Burgundy and Dingy Skipper butterflies - it's all gearing up to what could be the best butterfly summer for a generation."

Butterflies are also enjoying a revival in popular culture with sales of butterfly-themed products high and many large businesses such as John Lewis, Easy Jet, Samsung, Accessorize, Paper Chase, Laura Ashley and White Stuff using butterflies in their branding,

Rich Sutcliffe, Editor at Brand Republic said: "Butterflies are about reinvention and change, from caterpillar to a thing of beauty. Companies thinking about rebranding or repositioning a product have a clear message as they signify a natural new beginning."

Butterflies are very popular in tattooing and are often created to mark a change in someone's life. Famous names such as Cheryl Cole, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Drew Barrymore all adorn butterfly tattoos.

Lou Molloy, celebrity tattooist to the likes of David Beckham and star of 'London Ink', said: "Butterflies are one of the great recurring images in tattooing. I've tattooed them on many, many girls but they're increasingly popular with men - I've recently finished a half sleeve that features four different types of butterfly and one of the most referenced photos from my website is another sleeve tattoo with a big Monarch in the centre. They're one of the universally popular tattoo images."

The first ever National Trust 'Love Butterflies' weekend will take place on the 6 and 7 August when the greatest number of species will be in flight.

Over the summer months the Trust will be encouraging people to upload their sightings and pictures of butterflies to its butterfly watch map. This can be done via twitter by entering the name of the species, postcode and #lovebutterflies. There will also be top tips on how to go butterflying and places to see butterflies on the National Trust website.

The National Trust has also published a new book by Matthew Oates, 'Butterflies: Spotting and Identifying British Butterflies'. It will help both beginners by explaining the key points and fundamental principles of butterfly spotting, and more experienced butterfly watchers in need of expert tips and sharpening the focus.

About the National Trust:
The National Trust is a charity with a statutory duty to preserve places across England, Wales and Northern Ireland 'of historic interest and natural beauty for the benefit of the nation'.

As Europe's largest conservation charity it protects over 350 historic houses, 160 gardens, 1,100 kilometres of coastline, 254,000 hectares of land of outstanding natural beauty, six World Heritage Sites, 28 castles and 60 pubs, offering a number of options for days out and places to visit in the UK.

Website: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Medicaid managed care plans owned by public companies have higher administrative costs

2011-06-16

New York, NY, June 15, 2011—A new Commonwealth Fund report finds that Medicaid managed care plans that are owned by publicly traded for-profit companies whose primary line of business is managing Medicaid enrollees spent an average of 14 percent of premiums on administrative costs, compared with an average of only 10 percent spent by non-publicly traded plans owned by groups of health care providers, health systems, community health centers, or clinics. Sampling health plans with at least 5,000 enrollees resulted in an initial sample of 225 Medicaid managed care plans representing ...

Malaria vaccination strategy provides model for superior protection

2011-06-16

Malaria is a devastating disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite which is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. Hundreds of millions of new cases of malaria are reported each year, and there are more than 750,000 malaria-related deaths annually. As a result, there is an urgent need for vaccines to combat infection. Now, a new study uncovers a powerful strategy for eliciting an immune response that can combat the parasite during multiple stages of its complex life cycle and describes what may be the most effective next-generation vaccination approach for malaria. ...

Dawn of agriculture took toll on health

2011-06-16

When populations around the globe started turning to agriculture around 10,000 years ago, regardless of their locations and type of crops, a similar trend occurred: The height and health of the people declined. "This broad and consistent pattern holds up when you look at standardized studies of whole skeletons in populations," says Amanda Mummert, an Emory University graduate student in anthropology. Mummert led the first comprehensive, global review of the literature regarding stature and health during the agriculture transition, to be published by the journal Economics ...

Thomson Launches Couples

2011-06-16

Thomson Holidays has officially launched Thomson Couples, an all-new adults-only holiday experience aimed at couples who want to spend time abroad in a child-free environment. With the first Couples customers flying out in June, Thomson is the first mainstream travel company to offer 100% child-free holiday resorts worldwide. News of the launch of the adult-only holidays will be welcomed by more than three quarters (79%) of all those questioned for a Thomson Holidays survey who admitted their holidays were affected by other people's children, while 31% said that unruly ...

A grid approach to pandemic disease control

2011-06-16

An evaluation of the Public Health Grid (PHGrid) technology during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic could enhance the capabilities of epidemiologists and disease-control agencies when the next emergent disease appears, according to a study published in the International Journal of Grid and Utility Computing. Terry Boyd and colleagues at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta, Georgia, working with informatics specialists at Deloitte Consulting LLP, explain how historically, public health surveillance systems in the USA were designed to register ...

Genetic mutation linked to asbestos exposure

2011-06-16

Mice inhabiting an area known for its high concentration of asbestos-contaminated dust, have a higher level of genetic somatic mutations, compared with other regions where asbestos pollution levels are lower. This has been shown in a new study carried out by Dr. Rachel Ben-Shlomo and Dr. Uri Shanas of the University of Haifa's Department of Biology in Oranim. "This study clearly indicates that there is a link between the higher levels of asbestos in the environment and the frequency of genetic somatic mutations in the mammals," the scientists said. Earlier studies of ...

Tecnalia facilitates starting signal for athletes with sensory disability

2011-06-16

Competing in races is the life of a runner. But, for sportspeople with sensory impairments, any race is one of obstacles. Tecnalia is working intensely on eliminating these obstacles. The system involves a series of wireless-interconnected devices in order to facilitate the starts in time trials for persons with sensory disabilities and thus enable the athlete to have a reaction time equal to his or her competitors. This is a pioneering system, developed by Tecnalia with the help of the Basque companies Enkoa and Leabai and of the Gipuzkoan Federation for Adapted Sports. ...

'Casanova gene' in female songbirds

2011-06-16

It is assumed that many bird species are monogamous, yet infidelity is a widespread phenomenon. The advantage for the male seems obvious as in this way he can increase the number of his offspring. A female, however, mostly faces costs. The cuckolded partners often reduce their parental care. In addition, the extra lovers also may transmit diseases. Nevertheless, some females actively seek such contacts. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen investigated a large number of zebra finches and found a possible explanation for this behaviour. In ...

42U and The Green Grid Team Up to Discuss Key Data Center Metrics

2011-06-16

42U, a leading national data center engineering consulting company, is pleased to announce that the company is hosting a free web cast seminar entitled, Key Data Center Metrics, June 28, 2011 at 11 am MDT. 42U's featured panel of experts include Mark Monroe, Executive Director of The Green Grid; Scot Heath, CTO at 42U; and John Pflueger, Principal Environmental Strategist at Dell. "This discussion will provide our audience with an understanding of data center efficiency and sustainability metrics" says Trica Ang, Marketing Director for 42U. "In addition ...

Landmark report reveals immense burden of osteoporotic fractures in Europe

2011-06-16

A new report launched today by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) in collaboration with the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industry Associations (EFPIA) reveals that the burden of fractures in Europe has been vastly underestimated. The report concludes that in Europe's five largest countries and Sweden alone, an estimated 2.5 million new fragility fractures occurred in 2010 – the equivalent of 280 fractures per hour. It also showed an astounding eighty deaths per day attributable to fragility fractures. 'Osteoporosis: Burden, health care provision ...

The National Trust Reveals Butterflies are Back This Summer

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: