Calls to restore chalk grassland for rare insects

A conservation charity is encouraging residents to help restore vital habitats in Surrey to create a "haven" for some of the UK's rarest insects.

Buglife says the Chalk Lines project aims to restore more than 30 hectares (74 acres), roughly the size of 42 football pitches, of chalk grassland in the Surrey Hills.

It involves reconnecting vital patches to create "insect motorways" to assist wildlife to move safely across the countryside, the charity said.

Alice Parfitt, conservation officer, said: "It would be great to see local communities getting hands-on through wildflower seeding and planting, practical habitat management and creative workshops."

Fellow conservation officer, Peter Hewtson, said volunteers could attend workshops to learn more about the rare insects' important role in supporting the UK's ecosystems.

Buglife said animals including the Straw Belle, which now only survives at up to two sites in Surrey, and one of the UK's rarest insect, the hazel pot beetle, stand to benefit from the project.

Others include the adonis blue butterfly, the armed nomad bee and the red-tailed mason bee, the shining pot beetle and the large scabious mining bee.

Buglife explains chalk grassland is a rare and fragile habitat found along Surrey's rolling downs, supporting a rich diversity of wildflowers and insects found nowhere else.

It was once maintained by traditional grazing, much has been lost or degraded, leaving remaining areas fragmented and wildlife vulnerable.

The Chalk Lines project received a £300,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Stuart McLeod, director of England - London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said they were "proud" to support Buglife.

"This project would help protect the remarkable wildlife while giving more people the chance to connect with the nature on their doorstep," he added.