The Devon Fritillary Recovery Project is the work of Devon Wildlife Trust. Its aim is to help struggling populations of high brown, pearl-bordered, small pearl-bordered and marsh fritillary butterflies.
All have seen their populations shrink dramatically in recent decades due to changes in farming, loss of habitat and climate change. The high brown fritillary, for example, has seen its numbers crash by 96% and is now one of the UK’s ‘most threatened species’.
The new project, which is set to run for 2 years, is receiving support from Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme Capital Grant Scheme. The Species Recovery Programme (SRP), which Natural England has been operating for more than thirty years, focusses on reducing the risk of extinction and promoting the recovery of our most threatened species, through bespoke targeted action for these species. The Programme has been enhanced through the new Species Recovery Programme Capital Grants Scheme (SRPCGS) launched in April 2023, driving nature’s recovery through collaboration with partner organisations.