The BLUE Campaign Rewilding Britain

Over the summer, the Countryside Rangers monitored our 40 BLUE Campaign areas, noting some amazing species that appeared.  There was a good variety of plant species at all sites, along with a selection of invertebrates that had been attracted to the new habitats created. 

It was great to see meadow grasses such as Yorkshire fog and Timothy grass, wildflowers such as birds-foot trefoil, buttercups, bugle, and bedstraws. Lots of insects were also spotted including grasshoppers, bees, and numerous butterflies, moths, hoverflies, beetles, bugs, snails, and spiders. 

At the majority of sites we recorded between 10-15 wildflower species, and over 35 species at a few sites.

Most notably, we recorded orchids at a number of BLUE Campaign sites, including bee orchids again this year in Burgess Hill and common spotted orchids across numerous sites.  Perhaps one of the most successful sites was at our own council offices campus in central Haywards Heath. Here we saw a green-veined orchid, common spotted orchids, and autumn lady’s tresses orchids.  Lots of Butterflies were seen at this location including a Chalk Hill Blue! 

Large areas of camomile have also flourished in the Black Hill area of Lindfield Common.  At the end of the summer all sites were cut and cleared, as if left, any cuttings would decompose and enrich the soil with nutrients. Wildflowers thrive in nutrient-poor soil.

Green Veined Orchid

Chalk Hill Blue Butterfly

Autumn Ladies Tresses

Camomile at Lindfield Common

Blue Campaign site at Nursery Close, Hurstpierpoint

Oxeye Daisies