NATURE lovers are being invited to join an email contact list distributing details of local wildlife news and events.

Members of the Renfrewshire Wildlife and Conservation Network have been highlighting the work of local naturalists taking part in a number of projects over the past year.

One recent initiative involved rescuing the purple hairstreak butterfly – a rare species that lives around the tops of oak trees in places such as Shaw Wood, in the Hawkhead area of Paisley.

After storms earlier this year, naturalist Kirsty Menzies looked for fallen branches where butterfly eggs might have been stranded. She found several and took them home to rear them.

Three eggs later hatched and pupated into adult butterflies, which have now been released back into the wood.

A farm near Lochwinnoch also became the focus of a rescue bid for the rare early purple orchid species, with a makeshift barrier created around the orchids to restrict grazing in the hope the plants would flourish.

They did grow during the year but didn’t flower this season, so the group will be trying again next year and hope to see an increase in numbers.

Elsewhere, boggy areas on the Gleniffer Braes have been surveyed for their wildlife and conservation potential.

To join the Renfrewshire Wildlife and Conservation Network, send an email to renfrewshire.wildlife@gmail.com.

A new website featuring information on local flora, fauna and wildlife sites can be seen at www.spanglefish.com/renfrewshirewildlife.