Marsh Charitable Trust – Marsh Volunteer Awards with Butterfly Conservation

Marsh Volunteer Awards with Butterfly Conservation

These Awards are run in partnership with Butterfly Conservation, and aim to recognise and celebrate the contributions of volunteers that go above and beyond for the organisation, and for the conservation of butterflies and moths.

These Awards recognise volunteers from across Butterfly Conservation and are presented in 6 different categories.

Volunteer Mentor Award – for volunteer who has taken the time to mentor others alongside their regular volunteering duties.

Volunteer Newcomer Award – for a volunteer who has joined Butterfly Conservation within the past year and made an impact in their area or project.

Volunteer Impact Award – for a volunteer (or group) whose contributions have made a substantial impact on a local species or landscape.

Volunteer Community Engagement Award – for a volunteer (or group) who have worked with and engaged their local community in the work of Butterfly Conservation.

Young Volunteer of the Year Award – for a volunteer between the ages of 18 and 35 who has made an impact on their area or project through their volunteering.

Special Recognition Award – for a volunteer who deserves special recognition for such things as: long service, dedication to a specific species or landscape, research which advances the understanding of a species or a recent publication.

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Helen Rowe, Stuart Cathro, Mike Slater, Becki Hawkes, Maurice Avent, Mark Cubbit and Ian Rippey 2024

Marsh Volunteer Mentor Award- Helen Rowe, East Scotland

Helen is the go-to volunteer for her area and staff immediately put new volunteers in touch with her for advice. She shares her knowledge and enthusiasm to inspire new volunteers, and is a great representative for Butterfly Conservation in an area where there are not as many active projects or staff. Helen is also the vice county moth recorder, verifying records in her spare time, and has encouraged the growth of the local recording network which has become an asset to Butterfly Conservation.

Marsh Volunteer Newcomer Award – Stuart Cathro, Glasgow and SW Scotland

Stuart has shown a huge amount of commitment in his short time as a volunteer. Stuart made a huge difference when he became a Large Heath Butterfly surveyor, dedicating himself to finding one of the most elusive species and working on difficult terrain, becoming one of the project’s first consistent volunteers on this project. He has made a difference to the knowledge of certain species, spending hours looking for habitats and finding them, which will aid in a number of conservation projects in the future. Stuart’s trajectory as a volunteer so far has been impressive, going from zero knowledge of butterflies and moths last year to one of Butterfly Conservation’s key volunteers.

Marsh Volunteer Impact Award – Mike Slater, Warwickshire

Mike is tirelessly dedicated to improving conditions for a range of important butterfly species in his home county, through restoring degraded sites and creating new habitats. He co-wrote the publication Butterfly Conservation: The Warwickshire Approach, which he hopes will pass on his experience as a volunteer and inspire others. Since he became a volunteer in 1991, Mike has walked more transects than any other volunteer, passing the 4,700 mark in April 2023.

Pete Moore, Highland and Islands (Runner-up)

Pete has been a stalwart volunteer for many years and Chair of the Highland Branch for over five. He is an all-rounder, equally at home promoting and running events, giving advice to landowners, speaking to diverse audiences and writing articles for newsletters. One of his biggest assets is his ability to identify sites that need restoration to benefit priority species, taking it upon himself to identify whose land it is, contacting the owner and seeking permission for the work to be undertaken.

Andy Wyles, Northamptonshire (Runner-Up)

Andy has donated several days to brushcutting banks at a Species Recovery site, volunteering at work parties and acting as a conservation adviser for staff at a range of sites in his area. He is a fountain of knowledge, sharing his experience with staff and his fellow volunteers. Staff rely on Andy for support in their approach to habitat management and the understanding of species requirements for certain projects.

Richard Smith, South Wales (Runner-Up)

Richard was one of the first to find the High Brown Fritillary in his area in 1981 and since 1997 he has coordinated volunteers in managing the habitat and monitoring the area. He goes above and beyond to encourage other people to volunteer. Richard’s collaboration can only further the impact of Butterfly Conservation’s work in Wales.

Marsh Volunteer Community Engagement Award – Becki Hawkes, Big City Butterflies project

Becki is an exceptional volunteer who supports many different aspects of the Big City Butterflies project. She has been involved in a variety of local engagements to reach London’s diverse community, as well as running the project’s social media accounts to reach the digital community. She has supported Community Arts Projects, led butterfly walks and represented Butterfly Conservation at community days. Becki is always coming up with new ideas to engage the community, reaching new audiences and sharing the success of the project widely.

Sarah Gregory, Wiltshire (Runner-Up)

Sarah is the author of Butterfly Summer, a beautifully illustrated publication which encourages children to discover butterflies and wild spaces in Wiltshire. She is also a regular volunteer at Branch events, helping to raise public engagement through activities like the annual butterfly trail. She is also a recorder in Bradford-upon-Avon, making valuable contributions to Butterfly Conservation in other ways.

Iain Cowe, East Scotland (Runner-Up)

Iain has created a community on social media, sharing his enthusiasm and informative accounts of his butterfly adventures to inspire many people in his local community. He also leads butterfly walks, involving many people who otherwise would not be out and about enjoying nature. Many people who have engaged with his social media have since become volunteers, engaging with the community or conducting research to find new sites and habitats for rare species.

Marsh Special Recognition Award

Maurice Avent, Wiltshire

Maurice has been a generous and energetic supporter of Butterfly Conservation for many years. He has chaired the Wiltshire Branch and raised tens of thousands of pounds for the charity by hosting Butterfly Balls at his home. He has recorded hundreds of species of butterfly and moths, demonstrating how well his land is managed and making it the nearest thing to a Butterfly Reserve in the whole of Wiltshire. He has also given talks to schools and other groups all over the county, acting as an ambassador for Butterfly Conservation and sharing his knowledge.

Mark Cubbit, East Scotland

Mark runs the Butterfly Conservation East Scotland website, including details of micro and macro moth distributions, life cycle details, phenology and interactive features like ‘Moth of the Month’. He is also co-author of a new definitive book on Scotland’s Macro-moths. Mark’s knowledge and unstinting help have assisted countless volunteers to contribute to the recording and conservation of Scotland’s butterflies and moths. Mark has become a tower of strength among Scottish volunteers, with his verification and recording methods being used as a model system across the organisation.

Ian Rippey, Northern Ireland

Ian is a founding member of Butterfly Conservation in Northern Ireland and has been a lynch pin to the branch for the subsequent 36 years that he has been involved. Ian has a phenomenal knowledge of Northern Ireland’s butterflies and their habitats, and is always happy to share this with volunteers, staff and partner organisations. He is the core of the Branch and especially supports older members who are no longer able to join in with branch activities, ensuring that their contributions are remembered and they are kept up to date with the work of the branch.

Previous Winners

Nick Hall, Susan Duffy, Linsley Rodger, Rosemary and Bill Legge, Emma Taylor and Tam Stewart

Marsh Volunteer Mentor Award – Nick Hall, Yorkshire Branch

Nick is a passionate and very enthusiastic volunteer, who is happy to give up many hours of his time to empower people of all ages to enjoy butterflies and moths and take on monitoring roles in Yorkshire. He has been, and still is, very supportive of a group of transect walkers who monitor and maintain a fixed recoding route at a recently established reserve south of York.

Marsh Best Volunteer Newcomer Award – Susan Duffy, Hampshire Branch

Since Susan became a volunteer for her local branch, she has filled many gaps which have helped staff, and the organisation as a whole, enormously. She assisted with organising the new members day in August and has also attended a variety of events throughout the year. She has also used her creativity to go into schools and deliver activities

Marsh Volunteer Impact Award – Linsley Rodger, East Scotland and Glasgow

Linsley has been volunteering since 2017 and can always been found at events. He takes on leadership roles, assisting the organiser and staff, and sharing his knowledge. Linsley also attends events run by partners of Butterfly Conservation and helps to raise awareness of their work while also strengthening links with similar organisations.

Marsh Volunteer Community Engagement Award – Rosemary and Bill Legge, East Scotland

Rosemary and Bill are relative newcomers to the work of Butterfly Conservation but, in the space of a few years, have made a real positive impact on their local community. Their most important contribution has been the creation of a wildflower meadow in a disused park in their local village, which they led on with guidance from Butterfly Conservation and the Woodland Trust. Rosemary and Bill have also helped create butterfly-friendly environments in their own garden, and give talks to the local community to raise awareness.

Marsh Young Volunteer of the Year Award – Emma Taylor, Glasgow Southwest Scotland

Emma originally joined Butterfly Conservation’s Urban Butterfly project as a volunteer, before quickly volunteering at other events and becoming a committee member of the Glasgow Southwest Scotland branch. She was instrumental in establishing the first education officer role at the branch, which included visiting schools to raise awareness about butterflies and moths and the roles they play. Emma has helped to design and deliver planters for butterflies within schools and is currently designing a project to help deliver wild spaces in schools

Marsh Special Recognition Award – Tam Stewart – Glasgow & Southwest

Tam is a long-serving committee member, first as treasurer and now as conservation coordinator, while also volunteering as a butterfly recorder which has helped to bring considerable benefit to local butterfly species. Tam also mentors other recorders and transect walkers by running public events and specific training events where local people are encouraged to become recorders. Tam works with local councils, landowners, stakeholders and conservation experts to help protect the species.