A butterfly that became extinct in England has reemerged and is now thriving thanks to a successful breeding project.
As BirdGuides reported, ecologists brought a donor population of chequered skippers from Belgium to reestablish the species in its native habitat near Corby, Northamptonshire.
In England, the rare butterfly died out in 1976 because of changes in woodland management. In 2018, ecologists began working to rebuild its population.
Since then, they have imported 128 butterflies from Belgium and released them in two forest locations. Breeding has been highly successful, and over 350 butterflies have been counted, with their number increasing each year.
Butterfly Conservation oversaw the project and said the results were "very exciting," per BirdGuides.
"This project shows us that restoring wildlife is possible, but only if we put in dedicated and sustained effort to tackle the reasons the species went extinct in the first place," the charity's chief scientist, Nigel Bourn, told BirdGuides.
Beyond the chequered skipper, this project exemplifies how to approach species reintroductions and conservation projects.
The butterflies became extinct in England because of woodland management practices and the growth of conifer plantations. Yet this project shows how people can restore natural environments even after humans cause a species' demise.
Forestry England, which manages the publicly owned forests, worked to create open and sunny habitats to help the new population of butterflies survive.
|
Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 👍 A crucial aspect of the project was the cooperation of engaged landowners near the forest. Private citizens also helped improve their lands to benefit the chequered skipper's woodland habitats.
Many such species reintroduction efforts have been successful, as conservationists think outside the box to restore and maintain habitat biodiversity.
When we restore ecological balance on our planet, we make our world more resilient to changing climate conditions and stabilize essential services such as pollination for a secure food supply.
"Climate change will bring more challenges and opportunities, but whatever they are, we need to ensure we are creating and sustaining precious wild habitat for our wonderful and beloved native species to survive," Bourn told Butterfly Conservation.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
