Butterflies are very quick to respond to environmental changes, and have been adopted by the government as an environmental indicator. A healthy butterfly population like that in the cemetery usually indicates the area is rich in different habitats, which support a large variety of other wildlife too. Some butterflies need grasses for their larvae to eat, others need bushes and shrubs like brambles, buckthorn, holly and ivy, or fleshy plants like nettles, rock-rose, trefoils and brassicas. It's important that the correct balance is kept within the cemetery to ensure the survival of all the species found there.
All pictures are taken within Mill Road Cemetery by Nick Ballard. He also runs Butterfly Walks around the cemetery.
