TWO projects in Devon have helped to boost numbers of rare species – the white clawed crayfish and four species of fritillary butterfly.

The results of a multi-million pound investment in nature have been revealed for the first time today, alongside the launch of a new guide for supporting the recovery of more than 1,000 species threatened with extinction.

The £13 million pound Species Recovery Programme’s Capital Grants Scheme ran from August 2023 to March 2025, and saw Natural England invest in targeted conservation efforts that gave species such as water vole, oystercatcher, lady’s slipper orchid, hazel dormouse and Atlantic salmon a chance to flourish.

Saving Devon’s Native Crayfish received £195,000 grant and saw Natural England’s team in the county working with the Wildwood Trust to support the rare and declining species which is found on the Rivers Culm and Creedy.

Threatened by the non-native American signal crayfish, the project created an innovative captive breeding programme at the Wildwood Trust’s Devon Facility where white-clawed crayfish are bred and raised in safety.

With the creation of bespoke breeding pools and a new and protected pond, the crayfish can safely hatch their young at the facility and, when sufficiently mature, captive bred individuals are being used to bolster local populations.

The project has also enabled the construction of an interactive, public display at the facility to support with educational outreach of the recovery needs of the species.

Meanwhile, the Devon Fritillary Project received £295,000 to support work to improve habitat condition for threatened marsh, high brown, pearl bordered and small pearl bordered fritillary.

The Natural England team worked with Devon Wildlife Trust on 12 sites in the county to manage 106 hectares of land including scrub clearance, bracken slope management and species rich grassland creation.