Three species, one WILD comeback

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What does a dragonfly, a butterfly and a cricket have in common? They’re all fighting for a second chance, and you can help.

Peatlands are some of our region's most unique and wonderful habitats, with their wet, boggy conditions providing a perfect home for an array of fascinating wildlife that can't be found anywhere else.

Sadly, over 96% of our region's lowland peatlands have been lost in the last 150 years due to human activity.

Without the specific conditions that peatlands provide, many species would be lost from our region forever. This is why we're working so hard to protect and restore our remaining peatlands, and give a lifeline to the wildlife that calls these places home.

Right now, three extraordinary peatland species face an uncertain future: the large heath butterfly, bog bush cricket, and white-faced darter dragonfly.

These insects once thrived in our peatlands. In fact, the large heath butterfly was so associated with our local area that it was known as the ‘Manchester argus’. Sadly, habitat destruction has led to major declines in their numbers since then, leaving them on the brink in our region.

We've laid the groundwork through our peatland restoration - rebuilding water systems, restoring the sphagnum moss, and replanting specialist vegetation that they depend on. Now, we need £20,000 to complete the final crucial step: bringing the wildlife home.

Meet the species ready to make their comeback

Large heath butterfly

"I thrive in wet, boggy environments where my favourite plants are plentiful. Unlike a lot of other butterflies who prefer to venture out in the sunshine, I will happily flutter around in cooler, cloudier weather - meaning the North West is my ideal home.

"My whole life cycle depends on plants that only grow in wet, acidic soil. As a caterpillar, I love to eat the leaves of hare's-tail cotton grass. Then, when I grew big enough and am ready to pupate, I make myself a cosy cocoon hanging from a cotton grass plant.

When I emerge as a butterfly, I'm always hungry - thankfully, another peatland plant, cross-leaved heath, provides me with all the nectar that I need. When I'm ready to lay my eggs, I'll do so in a safe, sheltered spot amongst the cotton grass, ready for the next generation to hatch in late summer."

A reintroduced large heath butterfly after release

Why they need our help

Large heath butterflies are sedentary and rarely move far from where they hatch, which makes it almost impossible for them to recolonise former habitats naturally.

Extreme weather, habitat loss and fragmentation make them even more vulnerable. Without our help, they face an uncertain future.

This ties into a much bigger picture. Half of the UK’s butterfly species are in long-term decline, alerting us of wider environmental problems threatening our butterflies. We must act now to tackle this.

Our plan to secure their future

Locally known as the Manchester argus, the large heath butterfly used to be a common sight in the peatlands of Greater Manchester until around 150 years ago, when destruction of its peatland habitat, causing it to go extinct in the Manchester area.

Thankfully, a surviving population at Winmarleigh Moss near Garstang allowed us to reintroduce the large heath to Heysham Moss and Astley Moss in recent years, and now it's time to go even further!

Learn more about our existing reintroduction of the large heath butterfly

The next phase of our plan is to reinforce the existing population, continue to monitor their numbers and ensure that they have the right plants and conditions to survive, and then prepare to bolster their populations and reintroduce them to more sites across Greater Manchester.

White-faced darter

"I'm one of the UK's rarest dragonflies, with a black body and a distinctive white patch on my face - which gave me my name. Males of my species have bright red or orange markings, whilst females have yellow markings.

"I spend my life basking on open ground, resting amongst cotton grasses, and exploring areas of nearby scrub and woodland where I can find plenty of insects to eat.

"To breed, I need quiet, sheltered bog pools which don't dry out, are undisturbed by wind, free of fish (which would eat my larvae), and contain plenty of sphagnum moss. Only lowland peat bogs can provide this perfect environment.

"I lay my eggs in the water, giving them a safe, cosy spot to develop amongst the moss and spend the first stage of their life underwater as nymphs, before emerging and taking their first flight."

Successful reintroductions of the white-faced darter have taken place in neighbouring Cheshire and Cumbria in recent years - now we want to bring this beautiful dragonfly back to our corner of the North West!

We have already been working with global consultancy and construction company Mace Group on our Maximising Manchester's Mosslands project to assess and restore potential habitats for the white-faced darter, and building on their support we're ready to take the next step.

Our plan is to reintroduce the white-faced darter to one of our Greater Manchester sites initially, then monitor them closely to make sure we can sustain their population into the longer term; with a view to reintroducing them to more sites across Greater Manchester over the next few years.

Bog bush cricket

"Like my butterfly and dragonfly friends, I thrive in amongst the plants that grow in uniquely wet, boggy conditions.

"I'm very small, so you may not spot me, but you might hear me rubbing my wings together - listen out for a high-pitched, soft but continuous series of chirping or ticking sounds, almost like a rapidly ticking watch.

"I'm mostly vegetarian; some of my favourite foods include the buds, leaves and flowers of heather and cross-leaved heath.

"When it comes time to lay my eggs, I use my sword-like ovipositor to cut into vegetation and lay eggs directly into plants like purple moor grass, giving them a safe, sheltered environment to develop."

A bog bush cricket at Little Woolden Moss

The bog bush cricket is already present in small numbers at one of our Greater Manchester sites. Our plan is to introduce it to more locations across the Manchester mosses and allow it to regain its foothold again in our region.

Why these species?

These species used to be commonplace in Greater Manchester's peatlands until around 150 years ago. We've been working hard to restore the habitats these insects depend on, creating the right conditions for them to make their return.

These insects all play vital roles in the peatland ecosystem. The large heath butterfly pollinates plants including cross-leaved heath; the bog bush cricket helps break down decomposing plant matter and is a food source for birds; and the white-faced darter dragonfly is a key predator of smaller invertebrates, keeping insect populations in balance.

These small but mighty creatures can also tell us a lot about the overall health of their habitat. Because they need such specific conditions to survive, and are very sensitive to changes in their environment, we can tell if their habitat is in a good condition based on whether it has all the features that they need to thrive.

So by reintroducing these insects, we're not only supporting the future of their species, but helping to restore an entire ecosystem.

What you'll be helping us achieve

Reintroductions don’t happen on their own. They take skilled people, time, care and planning.

With your generous support, our team will be able to get to work bringing back these three species at key sites that have been carefully restored and prepared ready for their return. You'll also be helping us to monitor populations and continue to manage the land to make sure that the conditions remain ideal for these insects, helping support their numbers long into the future.

By donating, you’re supporting expert conservation work that will give all three of these species a chance to survive, thrive, and bring our peatlands back to life again.

With your help, future generations will see these creatures in landscapes where they belong.