Mass planting to boost rare butterfly numbers in the Shropshire Hills

The plants are the favourite food of caterpillars of small pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies, and by planting more, it’s hoped to attract many more of the rare insects.

Led by the National Trust, and funded by the Natural England Species Recovery Programme, the ambitious planting is part of the Stepping Stones Project to restore habitat connectivity across the whole landscape and create a sustainable home for not only small pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies but also willow tits, hazel dormice and otters.

The National Trust is working closely with Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Natural England and the Shropshire Hills National Landscape Partnership, along with various landowners.

Volunteers are planting out the first ‘clumps’ of marsh violets this spring, with the rest to follow in the autumn.

Approximately 50 plug plants are being planted together in 1x1m squares, creating 400 separate areas for the violets to thrive.

The selected sites are close to where small pearl-bordered fritillaries have already been spotted, but where there are currently too few violets for the caterpillars to feed upon.

Charlie Bell, Stepping Stones Project Manager for the National Trust said: “Marsh violet propagation and planting of this scale and ambition has never been attempted in the UK before. We are hugely grateful to our volunteers who are so enthusiastically taking up the challenge to not only help in the mass planting but also with future surveys to track the success of the work.

“The pearl-bordered fritillary is one of the four species we’re particularly focused on helping through our Stepping Stones species recovery project. Each species is special and needs our help to ensure their long-term survival in the local area. The landscape-scale restoration work here will also help these and other species to thrive.”

Karen Shelley-Jones, Species Recovery Programme Manager at Natural England, added: “Our precious wildlife faces a range of environmental pressures such as habitat fragmentation and climate change with once common species having all but disappeared from England."

“Support for this project from Natural England will not only help to protect these fascinating butterflies for future generations to enjoy, but will also create a bigger, better and more joined up landscape to accelerate species recovery.”

Caroline Uff, Ecological Consultant to the National Trust, said: “Currently, these striking butterflies are hanging on in fragmented colonies. Through this new mass planting and habitat restoration the plan is to give these butterflies the space to move and flourish. New areas could start to re-colonise within a couple of years.

“But this project is not just about one butterfly – it will also create habitats for many increasingly uncommon species such as snipe, curlew and devil’s bit scabious.”

To find out more about the Stepping Stones Project go to nationaltrust.org.uk/stepping-stones-project