Queen moss carder bee on a clover flower. Photo by Steven Falk
We are delighted to share the news that three of our research groups have been awarded Species Recovery Programme grants. The programme is delivered by Natural England as part of the government's "Wild Again: Restoring England's Wildlife" initiative. More than 350 threatened species will benefit from the largest ever investment in recovering England’s wildlife.
Saving the moss carder bee
The Agroecology Group and the Brown Lab, will collaborate with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to save the moss carder bee.
Professor Lynn Dicks, leader of the Agroecology Group welcomed the award, saying, "It's going to be incredibly exciting to contribute to this major Government investment in nature recovery, the 'Wild Again' initiative. The moss carder bee is one of England's most threatened and most beautiful bumblebee species."
Sharing her excitement, Professor Mark Brown said, “Wild bumblebees are key parts of our natural ecosystems, providing pollination services to wild plants and crops. This funding will enable us to work together to support the conservation of bumblebees in the UK.”
Professor Dicks described how the team will use the latest AI tools to predict the moss carder bee’s potential range, to design high-quality tests of practical interventions like habitat creation, and to improve identification for community scientists who can help track its populations.
Return of the Chequered Skipper
Professor Ed Turner, leader of our Insect Ecology group, will work with Butterfly Conservation on a major, £150,000 multi-year partnership project to deliver the next phase of the reintroduction of the Chequered Skipper butterfly in England.
With the support of organisations, including Natural England, Forestry England, Boughton Estates University of Liverpool, Zoological Society of London, and colleagues from the INBO and DEMNA in Belgium, the project will combine habitat enhancement, cutting-edge ecological research, and carefully planned reintroductions to strengthen populations of the butterfly in Rockingham Forest.
Alongside practical work to restore woodland rides and create more nectar-rich habitat, the project will improve understanding of the species’ precise microhabitat and management needs and identify further opportunities for landscape-scale recovery, helping to build resilience and a self-sustaining future for one of England's most captivating butterfly species."
Commenting on the project, Professor Turner said "It is really exciting to be part of this ground-breaking reintroduction programme. Our role will be to support a postgraduate student to study the fine-scale habitat needs of this species, supporting its reintroduction and recovery."
Chequered skipper butterfly. Photo by David James.
A major investment in species recovery
Natural England Chair Tony Juniper said, "For decades Natural England's vital species recovery work has revealed how even the rarest of the rare can be brought back from the brink.
“We know that good science and effective partnerships can help restore species to favourable status, and this funding will enable us to support many initiatives to help halt and reverse the decline of our wonderful wildlife."
Nearly one in six species in Britain are threatened with extinction. We hope that, thanks to this award, the moss carder bee and chequered skipper may soon no longer be two of them.
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Over 350 threatened species to benefit from record investment