Horwood House Hotel in Buckinghamshire is expanding its Butterfly Resort conservation project into a dedicated trail across its 38-acre estate, one year after the initiative was launched.
The four-star country house hotel and conference venue in Little Horwood introduced the project in summer 2025 following Butterfly Conservation’s declaration of a “butterfly emergency” amid concerns over declining native species.
The next phase will see the original installation developed into a wider route through the hotel grounds, incorporating educational information, opportunities to identify different butterfly species and interactive activity packs for children.
The expansion follows a new survey of the Horwood House estate which recorded 79 individual butterflies representing 13 species.
Gatekeepers were the most frequently recorded species, with 20 spotted during the one-day survey, followed by 15 Meadow Browns and 12 Red Admirals.
Other species recorded included Green-veined Whites, Large Whites, Small Skippers, Holly Blues, Common Blues, Commas, Peacocks, Speckled Woods, a Large Skipper and a Brimstone.
Hugh Ellerton, a Butterfly Conservation trustee who carried out the survey alongside local butterfly recorder and photographer Lorraine Mosolf, said: “Given the rather windy conditions, this is a very satisfying list. With few exceptions, the butterflies we expected in such favourable habitats were present, often in good numbers.”
The original Butterfly Resort was created by more than 50 students aged between six and 15 from Winchester House School, Stowe School and Swanbourne School.
Students designed and decorated 20 butterfly houses to create the installation, which was subsequently expanded through Horwood House’s corporate programmes.
A corporate client later contributed a further ten butterfly houses to the project.
The initiative was recognised with the Creative Excellence Award at the 2026 Hotel Marketing Association Awards.
Caroline Morrone, General Manager at Horwood House Hotel, said: “When we launched the Butterfly Resort last summer, we wanted to create something that would capture children’s imaginations while starting a much bigger conversation about the natural world around them.
“A year later, it is incredibly exciting to see that idea continuing to evolve. The new trail gives us the opportunity to take guests beyond the original resort and encourage them to explore more of our grounds, learn about the different species they may encounter and understand why creating the right habitats matters.”
The Butterfly Resort and trail form part of a wider programme of environmental initiatives at Horwood House.
These include beehives supporting pollinator activity alongside rewilding, tree planting and organic gardening projects across the estate.
Karim Kassam, owner of Horwood House and founder of ZIZ Hospitality, said: “The Butterfly Resort has developed into something that brings together education, conservation and community involvement.
“Evolving it into a trail means that story can continue to grow and become an even more meaningful part of the Horwood House experience.”
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