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The endangered species Field Wormwood is one of the rarest plants in the UK. Before our work to conserve this precious plant, just 530 individual plants were known in the UK.
One of the UK’s rarest plants, Field Wormwood, has been given a lifeline to try and boost the numbers of this endangered plant. This rare species is found nowhere in Britain apart from the Brecks where it has just been introduced to a new site. We have just undertaken the largest conservation effort for this plant for over 25 years.
Across the UK, Field Wormwood Artemisia campestris can only be found in the Brecks – at just 3 native sites and 7 translocation sites. It is one of the rarest plants in the UK and is listed as an endangered species, according to the GB Red List of Threatened Species.
It can thrive in the Brecks, but the numbers of this rare plant have dramatically declined due to development, forestry and intensive farming.
The impacts of theoretically losing Field Wormwood could also have drastic biodiversity impacts in the Brecks. Field Wormwood is particularly important for a very rare beetle Wormwood Moonshiner, which depends on the plants’ seeds for food during the cold autumn and winter months.
In a bid to ensure this plant’s survival in the Brecks, we used a method called translocation – a process used in conservation which involves moving a plant to a new location where it will hopefully survive and thrive.
Recently, a total of 78 Field Wormwood plants were successfully translocated from Banham Zoo to Warren Hill, Mildenhall. The site was chosen for its steep slope and poor, chalky-sandy soils. It’s hoped the steep slopes will increase the plants’ chances of survival because this species is susceptible to grazing and unable to cope with competition from other vegetation.
The plants were grown from seed collected from the two largest remaining local sites by Plantlife and Natural England staff, cleaned and stored by Kew Millennium Seed Bank, then planted at Banham Zoo in February. Growing the plants at the Zoo gave them a headstart, optimising their chance of survival. The new site is owned by Forestry England and managed by Norfolk Wildlife Trust.
Before we started conservation work, there were just 650 individual plants in the whole of the UK. However, the species is widespread in Eastern Europe.
This translocation is also part of broader ambitions to develop our understanding of the ecology of Field Wormwood and the life cycle of the rare beetle, Wormwood Moonshiner, that appears to rely on Field Wormwood. It is part of a wider collaborative conservation effort between Plantlife, Banham Zoo, Natural England and Buglife.
The rare beetle Wormwood Moonshiner Amara fusca could greatly benefit if Field Wormwood populations could be restored.
This beetle has only ever been spotted at night, at sites where Field Wormwood is present – either feeding on the plant’s seeds or on adjacent Yarrow plants.
It is hoped that once established, this new site of Field Wormwood will attract the Wormwood Moonshiner beetle and help it to thrive.
The chosen translocation site is 3km from the nearest known site with Wormwood Moonshiner, so it will help us to learn if the beetle is able to move this far to find them.
The unique environment in the Brecks really suits this plant. With its long tap roots it can thrive in the Brecks’ nutrient-poor chalky-sandy soils, and cope with the dry, hot and cold conditions associated with this unique landscape. The Brecks, which spans across Norfolk and Suffolk, is one of the driest parts of the UK. Meanwhile plants which would outcompete it struggle to grow, leaving plenty of space for Field Wormwood.
Now the plants are at the new site, we need to monitor how they grow. We will know the translocation has been a success once the plants are self-sustaining, which means they have set seed with enough germinated plants growing to replace the planted population. This could take up to 5 years.
Field Wormwood successfully translocated to a hill in Middenhall
Planting Field Wormwood
Planting Field Wormwood seeds at Banham Zoo
People planting Field Wormwood on a hill in Middenhall
Chris Jones, the Warden of Kenfig National Nature Reserve, recently found the very rare fungus, during a routine survey.
The effort Greena Moor Nature Reserve management team put in place to save the Three-lobed Water Crowfoot.
Alistair Whyte, Head of Plantlife Scotland shares his thoughts on Scotland's Plant Relict, Purple Oxytropis
Plantlife’s Vascular Plants Officer Robbie Blackhall-Miles finds an exciting new plant species for Wales.
In the UK we have over 45 species of orchid – which might be more than you thought! Learn more about this wild and wonderful family of plants with Plantlife wildflower expert Sarah Shuttleworth.
Throughout February, Plantlife is participating in Reverse the Red's Fungi Month – a chance to discover some of our most threatened species.
Plantlife’s Cairngorms Project Manager Sam Jones reveals how a tiny flower in Scotland is fighting back against extinction in the UK.
Did you know some of our plants are threatened by extinction? Here are 3 species that are endangered in Scotland and the work that’s being done to bring them back.
Some of our plants in Wales are threatened by extinction, but here are 3 species that are being brought back from the brink of extinction.
Join us on a journey to discover the Daisy – from fun facts to folklore!
Everyone knows the Daisy. It’s a common wildflower that can be found in almost all temperate regions of the world, although is only native to temperate Europe.
The Daisy sometimes forms a sea of white flowers over our lawns. It’s easily recognised, but often overlooked and underrated.
But this small unassuming wildflower is much more than just a pretty blossom, it has an impressive history, fabulous folklore and plays an important role for other wildlife!
Join us on a journey to discover the Daisy.
From March until September, the Daisy can be spotted popping out of lawns and other short grassland from road verges to meadows.
Each flower has a rosette of small, thin white petals surrounding a bright yellow centre. These are supported by a single stem which grows from a group of dark green rounded leaves. But did you know that the delicate Daisy isn’t just one flower? It’s actually over 100 flowers! Each of the ray florets (which appear as white petals) is an individual flower, and the disc florets (which appear as the yellow centre) are hundreds more tiny flowers.
Find out more about the Daisy here.
The Daisy is such a common sight that it can often go unappreciated, but it’s actually incredibly important. The humble Daisy helps support a wide range of wildlife. They provide pollen to bees, hoverflies, butterflies, beetles and moths. But it’s not just pollen, the plants themselves provide food to larvae, snails, caterpillars and rabbits and dried Daisy heads are sometimes enjoyed by foraging birds such as Finches. Given their long bloom time they are a vital resource to wildlife at times when not much else is in flower.
It might not be a surprise that the Daisy has been around for thousands of years, but did you know that their history intertwines with ours for millennia as well?
Evidence shows the Daisy was being grown in gardens in ancient Egypt, and was used back then to treat a number of health concerns from coughs to pain. Roman soldiers collected daisies to heal wounds, so much so that it was often called ‘woundwort’ or ‘bruisewort’. Throughout history the tiny wildflower has had a number of uses from medicinal to culinary. Today they are still being used, and are a popular ingredient in skincare thanks to their anti-inflammatory properties.
The Daisy is often seen to symbolise innocence and love and can be found in folklore from around the world, and throughout the ages.
In Norse mythology, the Daisy was the sacred flower of Freyja, the goddess of love and fertility – this in turn made them a symbol of motherhood.
A tale from Roman folklore follows the story of Belides, a nymph who turned herself into a Daisy to avoid the advances of the god of seasons, Vertumnus.
In Celtic folklore it is said that when a child passed away, God would scatter daisies over the land, and the white flowers came to symbolise their pure spirits.
So the next time you spot a Daisy, imagine them growing in gardens bordering the Nile, or being picked by an injured Roman soldier. Think of the nymph Belides, or the grieving Celtic parents comforted by it’s bloom.
This wonderful wildflower is so much more than meets the eye!
Why not visit our species page here, to learn more about other wonderful wildflowers.
Did you know that a simple walk in nature can have positive effects on your family's physical and mental health? Join 9-year-old Flora on an outdoor adventure and explore the wonders of the wild!
Join us as we take a look back at what went right for nature in 2025.
This new collaborative network between statutory bodies, research institutes, conservation NGOs and other fungal conservation professionals, is a huge step forward for fungal conservation.
In 2025, a new UK Network for Fungal Conservation was launched. Chaired by Plantlife, this is the first collaboration for conservation of fungi of its kind in the UK for over a decade.
The Network brings together representatives from statutory bodies, research institutes, conservation NGOs and other fungal conservation professionals. Together we will work on fungal conservation across the UK, maximising and focussing resources and expertise.
This new group marks a new step in fungal conservation nationally, and makes the most of momentum that has been building for several years.
We aim to create an inclusive and accessible environment to develop existing and new collaborations and partnerships that promote and address the needs of fungal conservation.
The Network for Fungal Conservation has a broad ranging brief, with activities including:
Throughout 2026, the Network will build on the momentum from the launch, working on a collaborative new strategy and delivery plan for fungal conservation in the UK.
The network launched in September last year with an event that brought together professionals from across the fungal conservation sector.
Through talks, networking and workshops, we set about developing the aims of the network. We also focussed our efforts on a new Strategy for Funal Conservation in the UK. Together we will continue our work on this throughout 2026.
If you would like to join the network and become a member, we would ask you to fill out a quick registration form which can be found here.
Fungi are one of our most fascinating creations, and best of all, they are right under our noses – perfect for children to spot.
Britain’s waxcap grasslands are considered to be the best in Europe. Discover the pressures these colourful fungi and their habitats face…
The missing piece to scale up and urgently deliver global action for fungi.
We are working with a group of dedicated experts – the Global Fungi Conservation Network (GFCN) – to complete the first ever Global Strategy for Fungal Conservation. This strategy will be filling the ‘missing piece’ in already ambitious plans set out around nature recovery, helping countries to meet the targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
Until now, there has been no dedicated strategy for fungi conservation. The plan is for the strategy to replicate the success of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which has successfully created a roadmap for saving the world’s plants.
Fungi are a frequently forgotten kingdom that underpins all life on Earth. Fungi play a vital role in our health, our economy, and the planet’s future. However, they are often ignored in policies, plans, and decision‑making. This lack of attention at local, national, and international levels has led to poor protection of fungi, even though urgent action is needed.
The Strategy, due to be published later this year, is notably the first of its kind for fungi. It will provide the actions needed for fungi and their habitats, which address the unique threats they face. And since we can’t protect and save what we don’t know, this work will highlight the knowledge gaps and research needs, to inspire institutions to fill them.
Beyond Governments, we also hope the strategy will motivate wider engagement from the “whole of society”. This includes a diverse range of people, communities and groups, including the private sector (businesses, corporations), NGOs, and importantly Indigenous Peoples who must have a voice in planning processes and action.
The big hope of the strategy is to inspire and motivate wide interest and engagement, from diverse groups, people and entities (beyond governments) – what is termed a “whole of society” approach.
Plantlife is serving as the Secretariat to the GSFC, working collaboratively with experts Dr Gregory Mueller, Cátia Canteiro and the GFCN by providing strategic oversight and operational support to its completion. We will also help by getting it out there to all the people and places it needs to be to influence and inspire action.
The GFCN is network of mycologists and others from a broad mix of universities, research institutions, botanic gardens and NGOs who share a common goal to have a coordinated, science-based framework which integrates fungi into nature recovery, sustainable agriculture, and climate adaptation efforts worldwide.
As the global voice of plants and fungi, we know that the development of a Global Fungal Conservation Strategy is vital to protecting and restoring our world.
We want to encourage and connect communities around the world to collaborate and learn from each other to conserve a fundamental part of our planet.
We will also make compelling arguments for public, private and civil society sectors to work effectively together to drive meaningful change on the ground.
Follow us on LinkedIn for further announcements or to get involved.
Our annual citizen survey campaign Waxcap Watch is making a big difference to fungus conservation work.
Join Senior Ecologist Sarah Shuttleworth for a deadwood date, as she takes a deep dive into the wood wide web.
The news hasn’t all been good for nature this year – and the truth is we have been working tirelessly in the face of the biodiversity crisis and the climate crisis, and it is an uphill battle. We’re not saying that we’ve turned the tide, there is certainly a long way to go to protect our incredible plants and fungi for the future – but over the last 12 months, we’ve been at the heart of some amazing wins for nature!
So to celebrate a new year, full of opportunity, we wanted to take a look back at 10 stories that show nature is capable of incredible resilience.
We’ve seen wildflowers fight back from the brink of extinction, thousands work together to boost biodiversity in gardens and hope for some of our most vulnerable lichens.
The Breckland, in the east of England, has suffered more than other places with habitat loss – and one of the casualties is Scrambled Egg Lichen. This yellow lichen with a white fungus on top really does look like an egg.
It became extinct in the Breckland due to habitat loss resulting from changes in farming practices, an increase in tree cover and a loss of rabbits. The Scrambled Egg Lichen is 1 of 3 specialist lichens lost from the region, where they were once common, along with the Starry Breck and Scaly Breck Lichen.
Fortunately, we have found a way to reintroduce it back into the Breckland. Our Lichen and Bryophyte Senior Specialist Dave Lamacraft collected small patches of the lichen from Penhale in Cornwall and transported it using a process called translocation.
Read the full story here.
Thousands of people all over the UK ditched the mower in May and beyond to help boost biodiversity in gardens.
In previous years, people as far away as Italy and the USA have taken on the challenge, and we’ve seen No Mow diaries from far afield popping up on YouTube which is amazing. But this year, the Movement really started to snowball overseas when it was picked up by the New York Times!
We hope that this is just the start of a world-wide initiative of people leaving their lawns for nature.
Find out more about the No Mow Movement here.
The iconic orchid, Lady’s-slipper, was believed to have been driven to extinction in the UK by the early part of the 20th century as a result of over-collecting and habitat loss.
However, in 1930 a single plant was discovered growing in a remote part of the Yorkshire Dales. The location was kept secret for decades, during which time volunteers frequently checked on the plant to make sure it wasn’t dug up and stolen.
A reintroduction programme was planned with the ambition of reinstating self-sustaining populations of the orchid in the wild. Now, decades of work have finally paid off.
Last summer, the first new naturally occurring Lady’s-slipper Cypripedium calceolus plant was discovered in the wild for almost 100 years. The team who discovered the plant included Plantlife, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Natural England, the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) and Chester Zoo.
We recently discovered 2 rare lichen species at risk in the Lake District’s unique temperate rainforest. They were growing on an infected Ash tree and needed to be moved to ensure they continued to thrive in this habitat.
The tree has been infected with ash dieback meaning it is at a high risk of dying or collapsing in a storm.
Our experts translocated some of the lichen from the infected Ash tree to a nearby Hazel tree in the Lake District, home to some of the UK’s rare temperate rainforests.
The high rainfall, humid temperatures and ancient woodlands provide a perfect climate for rare lichens to survive.
On National Meadows Day 2025, we asked you to help us make sure our meadows don’t become a memory, by joining our call for the government to protect them.
The government has an Irreplaceable Habitat list, which includes ancient woodlands, blanket bogs, coastal sand dunes and lowland fens offering them a level of protection. But ancient meadows have no protection to stop them from disappearing – and once they’re gone, they’re gone forever.
We asked you to write to your MPs – and as a result of the emails sent by our supporters and members, the Minister for Nature responded to our letter.
We also received information that the UK Government plans to review the definition of irreplaceable habitats in national planning policy in England.
Find out more here.
In 2003 Aspen Bristle-moss, which was thought to be extinct in the UK, was rediscovered by a chance finding. Now, thanks to a team effort – moss experts, landowners and volunteers discovered 3 times the amount of Aspen Bristle-moss at one site. This brilliant find led to the known population of this rare moss doubling in Scotland in a single afternoon.
This amazing feat was thanks to a training session organised by our Resilience and Recovery, Helping Rare Species Adapt to a Changing World Project Manager, Sam Jones, where volunteers were taught how to ID this marvellous moss.
The elusive epiphyte (a plant which grows on the surface of another plant) is particularly tricky to identify, with tiny features that distinguish it from the other mosses that can be found growing alongside it.
This event, helping uncover hidden populations of Aspen Bristle-moss, gives hope for its future.
We asked people to head to their local grassland in search of bright and beautiful waxcap mushrooms. This year, more people than ever took part, tripling the number of surveys we received from last year.
These surveys provide really important data to help us find rare and important waxcaps as well as identify where fragments of ancient meadows survive.
From 11 recordings of rare Violet Corals, to 265 surveys that recorded Pink Waxcaps, this data is invaluable.
Find out more about Waxcap Watch here.
Following the publication of the new GB Red List in 2025, we were excited to be able to announce that one of the most endangered orchids in Britain, Fen Orchid, is no longer considered threatened.
This great achievement is a result of decades of painstaking conservation work. Overtime, we’ve learnt more about the plant’s ecology, how to safeguard existing plants and then how to boost its numbers.
Read the full blog here – and hear directly from Tim Pankhurst, former Conservation Manager at Plantlife who dedicated his life’s work to protecting Fen Orchids.
This year was the year people really supported the UK’s rare and incredible temperate rainforest habitat.
We teamed up with Cumbria Woodlands to host a full day of activities including trips into real rainforests to experience the wonder of these habitats first hand. We held a sold-out members talk, raised awareness through videos and social media posts that you helped to share with the world and even launched an appeal to rescue UK rainforests from extinction.
Every step of the way, our supporters have been there to speak up for these precious habitats and make sure that they will be protected for the future.
Donate today to rescue UK rainforests.
Lugg Meadows is a Lammas Floodplain Meadow in Herefordshire that boasts a wealth of biodiversity with wildflowers blooming all spring – including a spectacular displays of fritillaries.
But the meadow was put at risk when a planning application was submitted to build around 250 dwellings on land bordering the reserve, which is a legally protected Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
We submitted objections and more than 1,300 other organisations and individuals did too.
In October, after ongoing uncertainty, Herefordshire Council informed the developer that it could not support the application and recommended it for refusal.
Explore this incredible nature reserve here.
We know 2026 will bring a wealth of challenges for nature, but it’s also brimming with possibilities. Our teams will be on the ground supporting some of the rarest species in the world, protecting ancient habitats bursting with biodiversity and raising awareness at the highest level, campaigning for change. We hope that you will join us on this journey.
We would love to welcome you to our growing community, whether you’re interested in learning more about plants and fungi, supporting us through donations, becoming a member, or even joining the team as a citizen scientist or volunteer – every contribution matters.
Get involved
One of the UK’s rarest plants, Field Wormwood, has been given a lifeline to try and boost the numbers of this endangered plant.
After decades of brilliant conservation work, the rare and eye-catching Fen Orchid is officially no longer considered threatened in Great Britain.
One of Britain’s most endangered orchids has been brought back from the brink of extinction. The rare Fen Orchid is making a comeback and is no longer considered threatened, according to the new GB Red List.
Tim Pankhurst, former Conservation Manager at Plantlife has dedicated his life’s work to protecting Fen Orchids. For captions watch on YouTube.
There are now over 10,000 individual plants in Britain, with 7 locations in England and 3 in Wales. Fen Orchid was previously classed as Endangered, but thanks to conservation work it is now classed as ‘Near Threatened’ according to the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI)’s new GB Red List.
The historic downgrading in threat status of Fen Orchid is thought to mark one of only a handful of plants that have been inched off the GB Red List due to conservation action since the system was introduced in 1977.
Fen Orchids Liparis loeselii aren’t just striking, they’re also very rare – only flowering fleetingly in a precious few fens and sand dunes.
Interestingly, this wildflower is different to many others because it doesn’t usually grow in soil. Instead, Fen Orchids grow on clumps of moss or on sedge tussocks in wet areas called fens. They are dependent on the unique, open conditions of the fenland, a naturally marshy area.
It can also be a tricky wildflower to spot as it is small and inconspicuous. Its leaves wrap around the bottom of the single stem, which supports several yellowish-green flowers towards the top of the plant.
Learn more about the Fen Orchid.
The main reason that Fen Orchid numbers have declined is habitat loss – the abandonment and drainage of the fens. Orchid enthusiasts collecting plants have also played a part.
By 2010, there were just 3 locations in East Anglia and 1 dune site in Kenfig, Wales where Fen Orchids were reported growing. There were no more than 1,000 plants in total.
There were fears this plant would entirely disappear from the UK, especially as it is such a sensitive species that requires particular conditions.
Tim Pankhurst, former Conservation Manager at Plantlife said: “Playing a leading role in reducing the threat status of such a beautiful yet mercurial orchid is a once in a lifetime opportunity for a botanist and one I will always treasure. As we face the enormous challenges of climate and biodiversity loss, this provides a moment of genuine hope for the future and is testament to what dedicated partnership conservation work delivered consistently over many decades can deliver.”
Since 2008, we’ve led efforts to rescue this plant through a multi-pronged conservation strategy, alongside partners. This wouldn’t have been possible without the decades of work by the Wildlife Trusts caring for the remaining plants and restoring former sites so they could be suitable for Fen Orchids. This work made the reintroductions of Fen Orchids possible.
Image credit: Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Peter Atkinson, Plants Records Officer at Cambridge University Botanic Garden, said: “At Cambridge University Botanic Garden, we’ve been investigating the life cycle of the Fen Orchid and successfully maintaining an ex-situ collection of plants for over a decade. Over this time, our field observations have deepened our understanding of the species, directly informing improved management of existing sites and helping wild populations increase from a few hundred to several thousand.
“We’re now seeing strong, sustainable populations re-establishing in the wild – a clear sign that this kind of long-term, collaborative conservation really does work.”
The threat status of Fen Orchid has reduced, but that doesn’t mean work is complete. This achievement can only be held by continuing conservation work, including sites continuing to be managed properly and future translocations of the plant.
Funders and partners involved in the English Fen Orchid Conservation Strategy include Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, RSPB, Natural England, Butterfly Conservation, Broads Authority, Norfolk County Council, Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Royal Botanic Gardens and Kew. Natural Resources Wales and Bridgend Council have spearheaded work in Wales.
A rare fungus has been found at 300 new locations as a result of the annual Waxcap Watch citizen survey campaign.
Every year, we urge people to help us find some of Britain’s most colourful and important fungi – waxcaps – and record them through our free app. The hard work from volunteers and members of the public has proven very successful for 2 important grassland fungi – Pink Waxcap and Violet Corals.
More than 300 new locations for the rare Pink Waxcap have been discovered in the UK. Pink Waxcap, also known as Ballerina Waxcap because of the way the pink cap flares out and splits like a tutu or pirouetting dancer, is classed as “Vulnerable” on the global IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Data collected between 2020 – 2024 also shows 18 new locations of Violet Corals, a rare species recognised by its vibrant violet branching structure.
These discoveries show a huge leap in knowledge and the importance of citizen science in mycology. Before Waxcap Watch, just over 1,000 Pink Waxcap sites and 183 locations for Violet Corals were recorded in the UK, according to the British Mycological Society’s database [1].
Waxcaps, a type of fungus, are an indicator of rare, species-rich grassland. Knowing where waxcaps and other grassland fungi are thriving helps us locate where fragments of ancient meadows are surviving. This means we can help protect them for the future.
These ancient meadows are crucial in the fight against climate change.
Waxcap Watch is a very valuable tool for conservation. There aren’t many mycologists so by members of the public conducting surveys, we can learn more about grassland fungi and work to protect the sites where they are found.
Download the FREE app and help us find waxcaps.
These new Waxcap Watch findings are just the beginning for most sites. In places recorded as having high diversity indicators, such as Pink Waxcaps, further surveys will be done to influence future conservation plans.
The ambition of Waxcap Watch is to build pathways for local grassland conservation plans and help focus the efforts of mycologists.
Importantly, we need to keep going. Recording more waxcaps (or a lack of waxcaps) can help us investigate the state of fungi in the UK, as well as the impacts of climate change and changes in land use.
Over the 5 years that Waxcap Watch has been running, thousands of people have conducted surveys to help us understand more about the world of fungi. In 2024, we saw our highest number of surveys with 567 in total.
From lawns to agricultural land and cemeteries to road verges – people have found waxcaps in a huge variety of habitats.
In fact, a significant proportion of surveys were done in urban areas such as cemeteries, garden lawns and amenity locations. Typically, these are not commonly surveyed areas.
2025 is the sixth anniversary of the Waxcap Watch and we’ve made some exciting improvements to the campaign including:
Enjoy taking part!
Thanks to Training to ID a rare moss species, numbers at one site where it is found in Scotland, tripled in just one afternoon!
This event, helping uncover hidden populations of Aspen Bristle-moss gives hope for it’s future.
Read on below as Sam explains more about the day and this special species.
We’ve recently started working on a new species in the Cairngorms. Aspen Bristle-moss Nyholmiella gymnostoma, is the first non-vascular plant I’ve worked on.
The Cairngorms is special for supporting some of the UK’s only remaining Aspen Populus tremula woodland. Aspen Bristle-moss is an epiphyte (a plant which grows on the surface of another plant), which as the name suggests, specialises on Aspen. Therefore the only 3 remaining populations of the moss in the UK, are all in or near the Cairngorms National Park.
On 6 November last year, we had our first day looking at Aspen Bristle-moss in Deeside. A total of 12 of us — moss experts, local land managers, and keen volunteers — spent around 4 hours staring very closes through hand lenses at Aspen bark.
Our experts taught us exactly which tiny features to use to distinguish these mosses from all the others we might see on Aspen bark. We learned about the importance of wetting the mosses before trying to identify them.
Then we walked all over the site which is a very rare dense exclusively Aspen woodland covering around 5 hectares. About 20 of these trees were known to support Aspen Bristle Moss, nearly half of the total known UK population. On our sweep we increased the population on site to 49, nearly doubling the total known population in 1 afternoon alone.
This incredible little moss grows exclusively on Aspen trees, and is only known to exist at three sites in the UK – all in the Cairngorms area of Scotland.
It seemed a logical choice to focus on such an understudied local specialist species. While working to protect this moss, we are also hunting for and protecting other rare Aspen epiphytes, such as Blunt-leaved Bristle-moss Nyholmiella obtusifolia, Showy Bristle-moss Lewinskya speciosa, and Bark Sulphur Fire-dot Lichen Caloplaca flavorubescens.
We are early in our journey towards protecting these species. Alongside preserving and enhancing Aspen woodland, work led by the Cairngorms National Park and Trees for Life, we are focused on learning the status of these species, and what we can do to protect them.
The first step for Aspen Bristle-moss (and all these under-studied epiphytes) is to update our records.
In 2000 it was thought to be extinct in the UK but has since been rediscovered at 3 sites. It takes quite the specialism to record it, and so there is a good chance some populations remain undiscovered. So, our first objective is to re-survey the 3 known populations, and to get people out and looking for it across Aspen woods more widely.
This year we’ll be surveying the other 2 populations, getting more people trained up to look for and appreciate these rare species, and developing a better idea for how it is doing. We’ll also be encouraging trained volunteers to check Aspen trees whenever they can, as it is very possible many sites remain undiscovered.
As our understanding of these species expands, we may start to look at what can be done to protect these tiny remnant populations. Obviously, we must continue to promote and protect Aspen woodlands. We also may look into transplanting mosses between trees or assisting their colonisation into new sites.
We will have to see what develops as we work to protect and promote these often-overlooked tiny green gems.
We conducted these surveys on NatureScot sites, and would like to thank them for supporting this project.
Photos taken by Gus Routledge.
Discover 4 new walk ideas and Scottish spring adventure inspiration from Plantlife Scotland’s Communications and Policy Officer, Erin Shott.
Air pollution often poses the biggest danger to internationally rare habitats and nitrogen gases have the potential to destroy our temperate rainforests.
We’ll cover bare ground creation methods for species recovery, on calcareous grassland sites, as used for Pasqueflower and Purple Milk Vetch.
Join our Botanical Specialist, Dr Elizabeth Cooke and our Nature Reserves Manager Dr Andrew Kearsey as they outline species recovery work we have delivered over the last 3 years.
We’ll be looking into the work we have undertaken to help Pasqueflower and Purple Milk Vetch, across the Chilterns, Cotswolds, Yorkshire Wolds and at Brockadale Nature reserve. We’ll look at the methods and how they can be adapted for other species.
The session will cover:
Please bring your own drinks/snacks and lunch, there are no facilities on the reserve.
This event is organised in partnership with the Countryside Management Association (CMA).
Tickets are free to Countryside Management Association members, and £44.04 for non-members.
Join us to learn about how important individual plant species are and the fascinating relationships between plants and other wildlife.
Take part in Plantlife’s National Meadows Day on Saturday 1 July 2023. This year we celebrate the value of our local species-rich grasslands, including meadows.
Come and learn about rare mountain top plants and fungi in habitat over in altitude 1000m with expert botanists.
Join us live on Instagram, where Project Manager Sam Jones will show you rare plants, and answer questions about the Cairngorms project.
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