Back On Our Map Project

Status:
Completed
Catchment:
Bela, Coniston and Crake, Duddon, Kent and Windermere and Leven
Theme:
Evidence Innovation & Monitoring, Habitat & Wildlife and Widespread Engagement
Partners:
Butterfly Conservation, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Forestry England, Morecambe Bay Partnership, National Trust, Natural England, RSPB, University of Cumbria and Woodland Trust

The University of Cumbria and Morecambe Bay Partnership, alongside other key partners (Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Natural England and Forestry England), have secured funding from the heritage lottery fund, to deliver a project which is looking to restore a suite of locally extinct or threatened species to South Cumbria. The project has been developed for ecological, cultural and social reasons.

2016-2018 Development phase

2018-2023 Delivery Phase

2024 creation of the South Cumbria Pine Marten Recovery Project

Focus species:

  1. Small blue butterfly (helping partners: Butterfly conservation)
  2. Duke of Burgundy butterfly (helping partners: Butterfly conservation, RSPB, Natural England)
  3. Aspen (helping partners: Green Heart Den, Mind in Furness, Art Gene, HMP Haverigg)
  4. Oblong-leaved and great sundew (helping partners: Cumbria Wildlife Trust,
  5. Pine marten (feasibility study)
  6. Corn crake (this was removed as a focus species during Covid)
  7. Goldilocks aster (Cambridge Botanic Gardens, National Botanic Garden of Wales, Cumbria Wildlife Trust)
  8. Maidenhair fern
  9. Green winged orchid (helping partners: Kew Gardens, Natural England, National Trust)
  10. Hazel Dormouse (People’s Trust for Endangered Species, Natural England, National Trust, RSPB)
  11. Spiked speedwell (National Trust, HMP Haverigg, Cumbria Wildlife Trust)

What was involved:

  • Land owner and stakeholder engagement
  • Community engagement and volunteering
  • Education and training
  • Extensive surveys and monitoring
  • Breeding and cultivation of species, release into the wild to either bolster existing populations, create metapopulations or restore again to South Cumbria.

See legacy document here

Return to action table