Shrub Clearance in Lofer for Parnassius Apollo
🦋 Habitat Restoration for Apollo Butterflies in Lofer!
In spring 2025, a major habitat restoration effort took place on the dry steppe slope below Lärchberg near Lofer—part of the EU-LIFE project Apollo2020.
🌿 Over the years, the slope had become overgrown with shrubs and young trees (mainly spruce, hazel, and maple), blocking sunlight and crowding out the white stonecrop (Sedum album)—the only larval food plant of the Apollo butterfly.
👉 Between March 6 and April 23, 15 action days were dedicated to clearing around 30 hectares of land. The goal: reopen the slope to sunlight, restore dry grassland vegetation, and improve conditions for the rare subspecies Parnassius apollo loferensis.
💎 This site is one of the last strongholds of this genetically distinct alpine butterfly—found nowhere else in the world!
🔧 The campaign was led by Otto Feldner (European Wilderness Society), supported by the local Lärchberg-Lofer agricultural community, dedicated volunteers, and regional conservation experts from the Salzburg state government.
🌞 A strong example of how local cooperation and early action can help protect one of the Alps’ most iconic butterfly species!
#Apollo2020 #ParnassiusApollo #Loferensis #Lärchberg #ButterflyConservation #HabitatRestoration #EUlife #AlpineNature #NatureConservation
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