Conservation efforts take many forms. Visitors ordering a specific beverage at a seaside hotel or a summer festival in the South of France might not realise their choice was helping to save a butterfly.
Due to its decline in recent years, the Hermit Butterfly Chazara briseis is a target species of the National Action Plan for Butterflies in France. In 2021, a regional version of this plan was approved in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, which led to a study by A Rocha France on the Hermit at the Les Courmettes centre.
Since 2024, the study has been supported by Act for Heritage, a new initiative launched by Events for Heritage in the South of France. The programme donates part of the proceeds from three specially branded beverages, sold in partner hotels, restaurants and events, to specific ecological projects. One drink – called the Flying Hop – supports biodiversity projects, including wolf conservation and protection of the Hermit butterfly. Each year, it raises €1,000–2,000 until the €10,000 target is met.
The study follows the Hermit through two key stages: caterpillars in spring and adults in summer. Since the caterpillars are nocturnal, from May to June. surveys run between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. Small teams move through the grass on their knees with headlamps, scanning every tuft for the tiny brown-grey larvae. It’s not an easy task – sightings are rare – but each discovery feels like a real victory. Confirming the caterpillar presence helps us identify the plants on which they rely, crucial for protecting a species whose survival depends on healthy host plants. If you’re up for an unusual nighttime adventure, extra eyes are always welcome to join the search!
In July and August, the focus shifts to adults. Armed with nets, we catch butterflies, mark their wings with tiny coloured dots, then release them. This simple code assigns each Hermit its own unique identity, enabling us to track their movement, lifespan and population changes year by year. Alongside these surveys, we also explore new corners of the estate to find other Hermit hotspots. Every marked butterfly and new sighting brings us closer to understanding and protecting this rare species.
Thanks to the A Rocha’s Global Conservation Fund, A Rocha France has begun preliminary work on a genetic study of the species as well as surveys outside of Les Courmettes.
