A formerly-lifeless property in Yorkshire, England has been quickly turned into a biodiversity hotpot, with soaring invertebrate populations, thanks to an ecological restoration initiative.
The site, called Three Hagges Woodmeadow, could help reverse the UK’s decline in wildlife. More than 1000 invertebrate species—including over 30 that are threatened or endangered—have been identified at a pioneering 25-acre nature recovery project created by the Woodmeadow Trust near the city of York. The site was effectively biodiversity-free only a few years ago.
The findings at Three Hagges Woodmeadow—which was created in 2012 on a former barley field—offer hope of rapidly tackling declines in nature by establishing similar biodiversity hotspots UK-wide.
Photo of meadow brown butterfly at Three Hagges Woodmeadow © L.Campbell.