Two damselfly species return to restored woodland

Two species of damselfly have been recorded for the first time in a woodland after the completion of a three-year project to restore habitat across seven nature reserves, a wildlife trust has revealed. Work on the Ancient Astonbury and Wilder Woodlands project, in Hertfordshire, was made possible with a £162,698 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.An increase in flowers attracted more butterflies, with Silver-washed Fritillaries also recorded in much higher numbers during summer 2026 than in previous years, the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust said.The Beautiful Demoiselle and Willow Emerald damselflies were spotted at Astonbury Wood, close to Stevenage. The seven sites that made up the project were Astonbury Wood, Balls Wood near Hertford, Fir & Pond Woods near Potters Bar, Gobions Wood near Brookmans Park, Old Park Wood in Harefield, Long Deans in Hemel Hempstead, and Hawkins Wood between Buntingford and Royston. An ancient woodland, the size of a football pitch, was turned back into coppice management, to allow more light to reach the woodland floor and encourage flowers, insects and birds to thrive.