Wild Life - Winter 2022

Chalkland restoration could protect rare butterfly

Two former areas of nationally important chalkland in Hampshire are set for restoration, which could offer a boost to one of Britain’s rarest butterflies.

The pair of chalk downland sites near Winchester, either side of the M3 motorway, cover approximately 65 hectares.

One of the sites, at St Catherine’s Hill Nature Reserve, has been identified as a potential habitat for the rare, but recently resurgent, Duke of Burgundy butterfly, which is found only in England.

A feasibility study found the St Catherine’s Hill site could not only represent a suitable habitat for Duke of Burgundies but could act as a stepping stone to allow the species to expand its range.

During surveys, our ecologists also found slow worms and grass snakes on-site, so any restoration work will be sensitive to these reptiles and ensure suitable habitat is retained.

Restoration work is scheduled to start in spring 2023 and is estimated to take 12 months to complete.

Once restored, we hope the sites will help create a larger and much-improved area of connected chalk grassland landscape, addressing the fragmentation and loss of this habitat caused by the construction of the M3 over 20 years ago.

The project will also develop better recreational opportunities for bird watching and allow for sustainable landscape management through conservation grazing.

The Trust would like to thank Highways England for their funding support through the Network for Nature Programme and making this chalkland restoration possible.