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Hotel opens butterfly resort to support species

David FreezerBBC News, Buckinghamshire
News imageHorwood House A black and orange butterfly sits on the slanted roof of a miniature house designed for butterflies, which is painted blue and white like the sky.Horwood House
The butterfly resort at Horwood House was decorated by pupils from local schools

A countryside hotel has opened new rooms designed to help endangered guests of a winged and colourful variety rest and recover.

Horwood House Hotel in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, has opened a resort for butterflies to support eight native species spotted in the area by the Butterfly Conservation.

Data from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme published last year showed that 31 of the 59 resident UK species were now in long-term decline.

Hugh Ellerton, a trustee of the Butterfly Conservation, said: "The butterfly resort at Horwood House is a wonderful initiative that combines conservation, education and creativity, helping inspire future generations to care about nature."

News imageHorwood House Fourteen brightly coloured small wooden houses are arranged on artificial grass around a pretend football pitch, with fields and trees in the background.Horwood House
The resort will help to support eight species supported in the area by a charity

The resort features 20 houses for butterflies alongside a miniature park, pond and football pitch.

The site receives a daily visit from a "butterfly butler" who is tasked with distributing unwanted fruit from the hotel kitchen.

Leighton Reid, the manager of the Grade II listed Horwood House Hotel, said: "We created the butterfly resort to not only enhance our gardens and grounds – but to engage children and visitors in conversations about conservation.

"Butterflies are stunning and vital pollinators that are currently in a significant state of decline."

News imageHorwood House Leighton Reid with short hear wearing glasses and a white shirt looks at the camera with the greenery of a garden behind him and brightly coloured miniature houses designed for butterflies shown on the ground.Horwood House
Leighton Reid says he hopes the resort will encourage conversations about conservation

Horwood House commissioned pupils from Winchester House School, Stowe School and Swanbourne House School to help decorate the farm.

Butterfly Conservation said 80% of butterflies and a third of moths have declined in the UK since the 1970s.

The charity successfully lobbied the government to ban butterfly-harming neonicotinoid pesticides, after more than 42,000 people signed an open letter.

News imageHorwood House Hugh Ellerton, who has white hair and wears a plain white shirt, faces the camera with the greenery of a garden behind him and brightly coloured miniature houses designed for butterflies shown on the ground.Horwood House
Hugh Ellerton says the project combines education, conservation and creativity

Mr Ellerton attended the opening of the resort and said: "It's also vital the public gets involved through efforts like the Big Butterfly Count, which helps monitor populations and guide conservation.

"Projects like this not only support pollinators directly, but remind us all of the role we play in protecting biodiversity before it's too late."

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