Two damselfly species return to restored woodland
A three-year project to restore woodland at seven nature reserves is completed.
Two species of damselfly, the Beautiful Demoiselle and Willow Emerald, have been spotted for the first time in restored woodland in Hertfordshire. The Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust revealed this following the completion of a three-year project called Ancient Astonbury and Wilder Woodlands. The restoration efforts were made possible by a £162,698 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The restoration involved turning an ancient woodland, roughly the size of a football pitch, back into coppice management at Astonbury Wood. This allowed more sunlight to reach the woodland floor, encouraging the growth of flowers, insects, and birds. The work was carried out at seven nature reserves, including Astonbury Wood, Balls Wood, Fir & Pond Woods, Gobions Wood, Old Park Wood, Long Deans, and Hawkins Wood.
The restoration also involved coppicing an area of hornbeam trees at Astonbury Wood in December 2025. Despite the dry summer, the area showed strong regrowth following its first growing season. The trust plans more coppicing in the future.
The restoration has also led to increased numbers of butterflies, with Silver-washed Fritillaries recorded in much higher numbers during summer 2026 than in previous years. The trust's Iain Ward expressed excitement over the positive response from the habitats to careful management. He hopes further work can be done at Astonbury Wood to restore ponds and prevent them from drying out completely as summers become hotter and drier.
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