Threatened Species Surveyor - Chequered Skipper (Fineshade Wood)

The Chequered Skipper flight period will begin in May 2026 and we need volunteers to record the butterfly at Fineshade Wood in Northamptonshire.

When

Volunteers will be asked to walk woodland rides at Fineshade between May 10th–June 10th 2026 and record any Chequered Skipper they see using dedicated UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme forms.

Eligibility

Please check the Volunteer Role Profile (click text) to ensure you are eligible for this opportunity.

Please follow the link at the bottom of this advertisement for blank forms and guidance materials and get in touch if you have any questions.

Wood White!

What's more, in 2024, Butterfly Conservation reintroduced Wood White to Fineshade using adult butterflies collected from South Northamptonshire. When you visit to record Chequered Skipper, please record any Wood White you see in the same way.

Signing up

Once you have signed up to Assemble through this opportunity, please DM Butterfly Conservation staff member Jamie Wildman, who will link you to an editable online Survey Rota on Google Sheets on which you must enter the date(s) you intend to survey the site. The rota allows BC staff to keep track of who is visiting to survey and when. Remember: a majority of the core release area (off the hard track) is private and no public access is otherwise permitted. You will be asked to leave the site if you are found trespassing.

WhatsApp group

A dedicated WhatsApp volunteer group is also available for Chequered Skipper and Wood White surveyors. Once you have signed up on Assemble and selected a time slot on the Survey Rota, please DM me with your phone number through Assemble if you consent to be added to it.

Submitting your forms

Once you have completed your timed count, please email your completed form to David James, BC Beds & Northants Acting Chair and County Butterfly Recorder, at dave.b.james@outlook.com.

Please do not email it to the Butterfly Conservation staff contact below to avoid duplicating data, and don't forget: no data is still good data!

Butterfly Conservation staff contact

Jamie Wildman (Conservation Manager - Central England), jwildman@butterfly-conservation.org

Maps, forms, and other resources

Google Drive link (click text)