New Forest insects given new lease of life thanks to novel approach - New Forest National Park Authority
More than 24 acres of grassland – the equivalent of more than 13 football pitches – have been planted with wildflowers to help boost insect numbers in the New Forest.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has been working with six private landowners in the west of the Forest as part of a Species Survival Fund (SSF) project to increase the number of species as well as their habitats.
The Trust is creating stepping stones of habitat across the landscape, helping species expand from the inner core of the Forest to its outer edges.
More than 550 metres of new hedgerows have also been planted as part of the New Forest National Park Authority-led project to provide additional habitat for insects and animals which rely on them, such as birds and bats.
The work focuses on areas that have historically had low numbers of flowering plants.
Senior nature recovery manager (New Forest & Lower Test Valley) for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Tracé Cooper-Williams, said: ‘The UK is experiencing serious decline in flying insects – a staggering 60 per cent over the last 20 years. Many of those species are pollinators and as part of our work for the SSF project, we wanted to do something to help those species in the New Forest. The project provided us with a great opportunity to boost local pollinator populations by creating habitat to enable species to spread out from the core of the Forest. We have planted 552 metres of new hedgerows and laid 195 metres of existing hedgerow, while nearly 250 metres of gaps in existing hedgerows have been filled in to create connectivity between habitats.’
Posted On: 27/05/2025
More on: