PRESS RELEASE

19 April 2010

Butterfly Park springs into action with an Art Trail

Sunday May 2nd 2010 hails the Grand Opening of New Ferry Butterfly Park for the Summer of 2010 and to it's first ever Art and Sculpture Trail from 11am - 4pm.

Artist in Residence Carol Ramsay has curated an art trail with her own work and also featuring work by artists Karon McGunigall and Hayley Parfitt as well as a joint installation by Emma Kemp and Chris Colville.

"Since the threat of closure, the parks public profile has never been so high and this has resulted in many offers of help and Carol has brought out another new and welcome dimension to the park" enthused Paul Loughnane Hon. Secretary New Ferry Butterfly Park Committee.

Amongst other things, visitors willl be able to see an interactive percussion instrument, multi-storey insect habitats and a range of hanging botanical illustrations to help inform their visit. Children will be invited to help cover the park’s new (t)wigwam with found objects from the park itself.

The Day will include a series of art workshops and woodland craft demonstrations, tours of the park, nature walks, art and craft sales, tombola, face painting and a BBQ and is free entry.

All proceeds from donations and sales on the day will be in aid of New Ferry Butterfly Park.

Recent History:

D Morgan plc has told the Cheshire Wildlife Trust (CWT), which holds the lease, to vacate the Park and has refused repeated offers by CWT to buy it. Wirral Council have applied for a Compulsory Purchase Order (ongoing) but the Park is by no means safe yet. The Butterfly Park is holding the Open Day to raise awareness of it’s situation and to maintain support.

-ENDS-

Information about the Park:

New Ferry Butterfly Park is an urban nature reserve that was developed on the former site of
a railway goods yard, coal yard and water softening plant at Bebington and New Ferry Station. A Site of Biological Importance, the reserve occupies 4.94 acre.

In addition to Butterfly spotting, the park also contains two ponds, hedgerows, scrub, hazel coppice and fascinating artefacts of the brick-making and railway eras. The wildlife does not stop there though as smooth newts, water scorpions, and dragonfly nymphs, live alongside thick-legged flower beetles and yellow meadow ants!

The park is used for education and training, from infant schoolchildren up to post-graduate professionals, as well as quiet recreation and enjoyment of wildlife. Its unusual management has featured in national scientific journals. The park is a well respected example of a community-run piece of open space which everyone can enjoy.

The park is presently open to the public Sundays: May-August 12pm-4pm only or by appointment.