Cotswold Yurts - Flora and Fauna

The Marsh Fritillary butterfly

A Dormouse

We are doing our best to encourage the Marsh Fritillary butterfly to breed here with the help of Natural England. Though not very impressive to look at, it is important as it only breeds on one other site in Gloucestershire, which happens to be nearby. As part of our Higher Level Stewardship, we had a professional survey of our flora and fauna and discovered among other things that we have dormice in the woods. This has led us to put up dormouse boxes and extend their preferred habitat by re-introducing a system of rotational coppice.

Badgers used to visit two of our cottages nightly but have recently been displaced by foxes (pics left). We don't know why this change has come about - nature is fickle and varied. Sometimes changes are the result of human agency but not always. This large oak with it's spreading branches (right) is evidence of the now vanished woodland pasture habitat that has been succeeded by scrub and young dense woodland. The scrub is a highly valued habitat, providing refuge for small mammals, beetles and plenty of nectar for bees and butterflies. Orchids thrive on the woodland margin, in 2000 we counted 41 bee orchids in one field. You are bound to see deer, buzzards, hawks and bats; and hear the hoot of owls and bark of foxes.