Discover British Wildflowers, Grasses – and Butterflies

Join ecological expert Professor Tom Brereton for a fascinating guided walk around Symondsbury Estate, where you’ll gain new insights into identifying British wildflowers, grasses – and butterflies.

Tom is a leading ecological consultant with an MSc in Conservation and a PhD in Butterfly Ecology. His passion for the natural world is infectious, and his deep knowledge spans plant life, habitat ecology and, notably, butterfly identification.

During this walk, Tom will introduce you to the main plant groups – herbs, woody plants, sedges, grasses, ferns, and rushes – and show you how to tell them apart. He’ll also explore the habitats they thrive in and reveal how these plants reflect the area’s land use history, stretching back over 3,500 years to the Middle Bronze Age.

New for this walk: Butterfly spotting and identification!

2026 is already proving to be a bumper year for butterflies on the Estate – one of the best in living memory. Purple hairstreaks are being spotted in many of our oak trees, while elusive white-letter hairstreaks have been reported in elm trees too. You may also glimpse purple emperors, comma butterflies, and a host of other species in the meadows and woodlands.

£25

For more information and booking: