THERE was a record turnout for this year’s New Ferry Butterfly Park Open Day.

More than 1,000 visitors attended the annual event, which marks the start of the open season for the park.

Among the attractions were maypole dancing, environmentally-themed stalls, locally-produced crafts, wildflowers and wildlife.

Two grants have helped the park increase its attractions this year.

A £280 boost from Cheshire Wildlife Trust's Natural Futures Project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund has enabled volunteers to plant 400 wildflower plugs to enhance the park’s hedge banks, pond verges and grasslands.

And £200 from the Getting Involved, Finding Talents (GIFT) Network, which aims to increase connectivity within the communities of Wirral South, has enabled the park to put up new artwork to promote the attraction.

A planting session was held to bed-in the new plug plants and attracted regular volunteers as well as some new, including students from Liverpool John Moores University's Conservation Society.

Ella Woodcock from the Conservation Society said "We were delighted to help at this community project and learn a little about butterfly ecology.

"We will be coming back. Whilst we were purging buckthorn shrubs for the brimstone butterfly, a brimstone actually flew around us.

"It was great to see conservation in action."

Beth Alvey, Natural Futures volunteering and training manager at Cheshire Wildlife Trust, said: "It was great to see the connections between the volunteers, students, and local residents.

"If any other wildlife volunteering groups would like some assistance with volunteering opportunities, grants and training we’d love to hear from them."