Cambridge City Council has launched a new nature trail around Cambridge parks and open spaces, helping people explore these green areas and learn more about some of the UK’s best-loved insect species.

The Cambridge Butterfly Trail consists of eye-catching marker posts located in 30 different parks and open spaces, across every ward of the city.

Each marker posts offers residents and visitors an interactive way to find out about different species of butterflies and moths which are found in the city and surrounding areas. 

The plaques on the posts contain a QR code that can be scanned to find out fun facts and detailed information about the characteristics of a particular butterfly or moth, as well as where to find the other marker posts.

In addition, each plaque has an outline of a particular species that can be rubbed with a pen or crayon onto a piece of paper, or onto collectable sheet which can be downloaded from the council website or picked up from one of our community centres.

The first 20 people to complete the trail and send in their rubbings from all 30 marker posts can win a free pair of entry tickets to the University of Cambridge Botanic Garden.

The trail aims to raise awareness of the roles butterflies and moths play in healthy ecosystems, and some of the threats they face – including habitat loss and climate change. In 2024, the wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation declared a ‘Butterfly Emergency’ due to concern about a marked decline in butterfly and moth numbers in the UK.
 
In response, Cambridge City Council passed a motion in 2024 committing to make the city more butterfly-friendly. This includes creating more habitat-rich areas in parks and encouraging residents to take part in Butterfly Conservation’s ‘Wild Spaces’ programme, which helps people support pollinators in their own gardens, balconies or window boxes. 

Cllr Martin Smart, Cabinet Member for Nature, Open Space and City Services, said: “The new Cambridge Butterfly Trail is a wonderful way for people to get out and explore some of our parks and open spaces, and to learn more about the many different species of butterfly and moth which live in and around our city.

“Insects like butterflies and moths are crucial to the city’s biodiversity and the health – or otherwise – of their population is a reflection of global factors like climate change and habitat loss. That’s why the council’s biodiversity strategy [PDF, 2.5MB] stresses the importance of considering biodiversity in everything the council does, improving the habitats we manage, and working with partners to boost biodiversity across Cambridge and beyond.

“In addition, the trail also gives people another excellent reason to get out and visit our open spaces which are so highly valued by our residents and are a great way for people to look after their mental and physical health. So why not get out there with friends and family, and see if you can visit all 30 locations on the trail!”