The marsh fritillary is one of our most bright and beautiful butterflies, and was once found across large areas of Britain. However like many pollinators, the species suffered from years of habitat loss and degradation, and locally went extinct two decades ago.
However with the generous support of HIWWT and Butterfly Conservation members, the Farnborough Airport Community Environmental Fund, the Ministry of Defence and the John Spedan Lewis Foundation, and by working with local experts from the Hampshire Marsh Fritillary Action Group (HMFAG), a project is underway to use healthy populations from elsewhere in the UK to reintroduce the marsh fritillary to suitable Trust-managed sites in north Hampshire.