Last updated: October 2021
The Square Metre for Butterflies project was initiated by the Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh (RBGE), in partnership with the Butterfly Conservation Trust, as an Edinburgh Living Landscape network membership activity. By planting relatively small-sized patches of caterpillar food plants on the roofs of mainly office buildings, the aim of the project is to enhance green roofs in order to increase their value for biodiversity, and for native butterflies in particular. Office buildings in Edinburgh’s city centre are targeted because of their location close to Arthur’s Seat hill, which is the natural habitat of Edinburgh’s butterflies. [ref 1]
Edinburgh Living Landscape
https://edinburghlivinglandscape.org.uk/project/square-metre-butterflies/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
Focus
Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity
Project objectives
By planting relatively small-sized patches of caterpillar food plants on the roofs of mainly office buildings, the aim of the project is to enhance green roofs in order to increase their value for biodiversity, and for native butterflies in particular. In addition, it is a way of showing people how the urban landscape can be enhanced to benefit biodiversity even on a small scale. The initiators hope to demonstrate through this project that it is important to think not just about the quantity, but also the quality of urban green spaces. [ref 1, 2]
Implementation activities
Three types of butterflies have been chosen as specific target species: Northern Brown Argus butterfly, small copper butterfly, and common blue butterfly. In talks with the Butterfly Conservation Trust, the idea was hatched to conceptualize the project as literal ‘square metres’ of vegetation. Several sites were visited of known public and private buildings with green roofs in the vicinity of Arthur’s Seat to see if and how these roofs could be enhanced. The general goal of the initiative is to persuade and encourage people to commit to a square metre for butterflies, for which the RBGE then provides the plants. After agreeing with the proposal for a square metre, building users are involved in the creation of the square metres wherever possible, although larger organizations generally have landscape contractors who manage their green roofs. At present, 10 roofs have been fitted with square metres providing food plants for the selected butterflies’ caterpillars. [ref 1, 2]
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Create new habitats
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect native species
- Undertake specific measures to protect valued species
- Means for conservation governance
- Raise public awareness
Biodiversity restoration:
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
- Restore native species
Main beneficiaries
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
- Other
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Citizen science
- Citizen monitoring and review
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), a non-departmental government body and the Butterfly Conservation Trust, a charitable foundation, co-lead the project. The Square Metre for Butterflies project can be traced back to RBGE providing funding for an officer to help deliver some of the actions in the Edinburgh Living Landscape (ELL) network’s programme. RBGEs ELL officer came with the idea to focus on enhancing green roofs for the benefit of butterflies and other pollinators, and approached the Butterfly Conservation Trust to develop a project. The Scottish Wildlife Trust is involved as well, albeit more in the background, championing the project by keeping a close watch over its continuation or sharing it within political arenas. [ref 1]
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
- Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
- Donations
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
- Private sector (businesses, financial institution)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased number of protection areas
- Increased green space area
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased number of species present
- Increased protection of threatened species
- Enhanced support of pollination
- Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Increased awareness of flora and fauna as culturally and historically meaningful
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
[1] van der Jagt, S. and Dorst, H. (2018). NATURVATION working paper WP4. Nature-based Solutions in Edinburgh: A Case Study. Section 5 – Square Metre for Butterflies. pp. 39-50
[2] Dorst, H. and van der Jagt, S. (2018). Development of a multi-stakeholder dialogue platform and Think tank to promote innovation with Nature based solutions. WP 3: Case Study Template. WP 3: Case Study Template.
[3] Edinburgh Living Landscape (no date) SQUARE METRE FOR BUTTERFLIES. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 30th August, 2020.
[4] The Scottish Parliament (no date) Scottish Parliament Biodiversity Statement 2018–2021. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 30th August, 2020.
[2] Dorst, H. and van der Jagt, S. (2018). Development of a multi-stakeholder dialogue platform and Think tank to promote innovation with Nature based solutions. WP 3: Case Study Template. WP 3: Case Study Template.
[3] Edinburgh Living Landscape (no date) SQUARE METRE FOR BUTTERFLIES. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 30th August, 2020.
[4] The Scottish Parliament (no date) Scottish Parliament Biodiversity Statement 2018–2021. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 30th August, 2020.
Edinburgh Living Landscape
https://edinburghlivinglandscape.org.uk/project/square-metre-butterflies/