Flora which was on the brink of extinction is now making a comeback thanks to rural conservation efforts.
The UK is up there with the most nature-depleted countries on the planet. As a study of habitats conducted last year by AiDash showed, one-in-six domestic species are considered to be at risk of disappearing altogether.
Among these is the Fen Orchid, or liparis loeselii. Indigenous to Europe, northern Asia, eastern United States and Canada, despite its spread the plant is considered extremely rare even in wilderness areas. Growing up to between 5 and 20 cm, and native to wetlands, human activity – and in particular steps which have changed a local biome, and disrupted water supplies, have had a devastating impact on the plant.
In Sweden, for example, it is thought to only be present on the island of Öland, Gotland, and Skåne. And you’re unlikely to come across it in Finland, unless you’re on the island of Åland, while it is considered completely extinct in Norway, where the last sighting was 1933.
By comparison, this small but beloved flora is making a comeback in the British Isles, and in particular rural parts of East Anglia. As a new video presented by Tim Pankhurst, former Conservation Manager at Plantlife, explains. Thanks to concentrated efforts to stabilise and restore the environment, bringing back to it natural state, populations of the Fen Orchid are now on the rise and there are real hopes it could soon be prevalent in the region, and beyond. Hit play on the film to find out more.
Image: Plantlife
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