The Lancashire Wildlife Trust (LWT) has started a project to reintroduce three rare species once common on the region’s peat bogs: the large heath butterfly, bog bush cricket and white-faced darter dragonfly.
These insects rely on lowland peatlands, 96% of which have been lost to human activity. LWT has restored habitats by rebuilding water systems and replanting specialist vegetation, and is now appealing for £20,000 to complete the project.
The charity highlighted the insects’ roles in the ecosystem: the butterfly pollinates plants, the cricket aids decomposition and feeds birds, and the dragonfly controls smaller invertebrate populations.
Senior nature recovery officer Dr Matt McMullen said the species would struggle to recover on their own due to limited mobility and habitat fragmentation, but public support and restored peatlands could help bring them back.
