Country diary: hopes pinned on a butterfly's wings

Goss Moor, Cornwall: Despite the abundance of natural beauty, the moor's ecology is declining - and battle has been joined to remedy thatWhere tin-rich mud was once dredged, gems now flutter and jet-black beetles burrow, but something is not right and these jewels are in peril.Goss Moor is part of the largest mire complex in south-west England, with lakes, peaty bogs, fen areas, lots of sallow scrub and the meanderings of the headwaters of the River Fal. There is an abundance of natural beauty - tall, white, common valerian in the fens, magnificent royal ferns around the bogs and lakes, and gnarled sallow bushes, dripping pastel green lichens. Continue reading...