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From Three Butterflies to Six Hundred: How Kent Pulled a Species Back From the Edge
The population of the rare Duke of Burgundy butterfly in Kent has grown by over 9,000%, rising from fewer than 50 individuals in 2005 to nearly 600 in 2024. This recovery was achieved through collaboration between Butterfly Conservation, Natural England, and farmers, who created new habitats and planted food sources such as cowslips and primroses under government environmental land management schemes. Conservationists describe Kent as the standout example of this approach working, though the species has still declined by 89% across the UK since 1982.
The Road That Vanished — And What Came Back in Its Place
When the Hindhead Tunnel opened in 2011, it allowed the old section of the A3 road that cut through Hindhead Common and the Devil's Punch Bowl to be removed entirely, triggering one of southern England's most successful rewilding projects. The National Trust restored the landscape's natural contours, replanted native species, and reconnected habitats, leading to the rapid return of protected species such as nightjars and woodlarks. The project also significantly improved local air quality, with pollution levels falling below legal limits within two years of the tunnel's opening.
The Rarest Flower in the Forest Has One Last Chance
Somewhere beneath the canopy of an ancient Scottish pinewood, a plant is clinging to existence by the thinnest of threads.