SIR David Attenborough is urging people across Hampshire to spend this Saturday (March 10) taking action for butterflies to mark the 50th anniversary of wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation.

The charity is celebrating its landmark birthday by holding a UK-wide conservation day of action, where it’s hoped a record number of people will carry out practical work to improve and create habitats for their butterfly and moth species.

More than three-quarters of the UK’s butterflies and two-thirds of our larger moths have declined in the last 40 years.

Butterfly Conservation president Sir David Attenborough said: “Half a century ago a small group of naturalists became so concerned about the plight of the UK’s butterflies that they decided to join forces to protect them.

“That organisation became Butterfly Conservation and 50 years later the need for people who care about our butterflies and moths is greater than ever before.

“You can do your bit for butterflies by taking part in Butterfly Conservation’s Day of Action on Saturday. By working together, we can all take some simple steps to provide butterflies with a future.”

People are invited to join Butterfly Conservation’s Hampshire and Isle of Wight branch from 10am-4pm at the Magdalen Hill Down butterfly reserve near Winchester.

Magdalen Hill Down once formed part of a First World War Army camp but is now nationally recognised for the many butterfly species it supports – with more than 10,000 seen there every year.

The conservations tasks on Saturday will help to create habitat for the declining Duke of Burgundy butterfly.

Butterfly Conservation reserves officer Jayne Chapman said: “We appreciate any time that you have to spare – even if it is just for the odd hour or so.

“Branches from all over the UK will be holding similar anniversary events on Saturday, so this could end up being one of the biggest conservation days in Butterfly Conservation’s history.”

The group was founded in March 1968 and is now one of the largest insect conservation organisations in the world.

The charity runs projects to protect more than 100 threatened species, as well as conserving hundreds of sites and reserves across the country.

For more details, visit butterfly-conservation.

org/events.