Butterfly and beastie bug hunt at Slievenacloy

Slievenacloy nature reserve is the venue for the charity’s big butterfly and beastie bug hunt this Saturday (June 23).

The free event starts at the Ballycolin Road entrance to Slievenacloy at 10am. This hidden gem of buzzing nature is situated in the southern end of the Belfast Hills on the outskirts of west Belfast and Lisburn.

Managed by the Ulster Wildlife Trust, the former farm contains a habitat of species-rich grassland. That makes it a big attraction for insects and butterflies which flock to pollinate the meadow flowers and orchids that grow in summer. Saturday’s event is suitable for children who are actually the best at netting butterflies, revealed Belfast Hills Partnership Manager Jim Bradley.

“Children are definitely the best at helping us identify the butterflies, moths and bugs of the Belfast Hills so this is an event that is particularly great for kids of all ages. “We recently surveyed Cave Hill on our wildlife bioblitz so this event will help us look at the southern end of the Belfast Hills and what exciting and rare species are living there.

“An eight-year-old girl found what we later identified as the rare Réal’s Wood White at our Cave Hill event - so kids are great at helping the wildlife of the Belfast Hills.”