Opening Day for the New Ferry Butterfly Park

The 30th season of New Ferry Butterfly Park being available to the public has been celebrated at a well-attended 14th Opening Day for the much-loved Wirral facility.

Guest of honour was Justin Madders, MP for the Ellesmere and Bromborough constituency. He thanked all the volunteers who have kept this much-loved community asset open and ensured its continual improvements over three decades. As many as 1,134 guests enjoyed a barbecue and homemade cakes and supported a tombola stall.

Mr Madders spoke about the importance of biodiversity. He recognised the drastic fall in insect numbers and highlighted the role of the Park in helping to support insects and tell people about them.

The MP made a presentation to Howard Gibson who has been mowing the grass at the park for 27 years. His mowing regime has increased the value of the grasslands at the park to invertebrates as increased nectar and pollen sources are now available. 

Mr Madders also sliced a Brimstone butterfly cake with a billhook. Brimstone butterflies are large yellow showy butterflies which can easily been seen at some distance.

The Brimstone butterfly is significant to the park. Back in 2004, cubs based at St John the Evangelist in New Ferry, planted alder buckthorn, the caterpillar food plant for these butterflies and a decade later the presence of brimstone butterfly eggs confirmed the brimstones were breeding at the park. This was the first recording of breeding brimstone butterflies in the Wirral peninsula. 

Alistair Noakes from Butterfly Conservation, was at hand with a display of the brimstone life cycle and was able to show guests tiny milk bottle shaped eggs of the brimstone butterflies and the first caterpillars already munching away on the spring flush of fresh alder buckthorn leaves at the park.

The park is now open every Sunday between noon and 4pm until mid-September.

Pictured: Justin Madders MP.