Glowworms have returned to a North Yorkshire nature reserve after more than 100 years, following a conservation project that began with larvae being raised in a Bristol garden shed. The first glowing females have now been recorded at Nosterfield nature reserve, providing an early sign that the reintroduction of the endangered beetles is progressing. Volunteers from the Lower Ure Conservation Trust counted up to 12 glowing females over several weeks this summer, two years after hundreds of captive-reared larvae were released at the site. Independent ecologist Pete Cooper, who led the breeding work, told The Guardian, “It’s a really great first indicator of initial success.” The project began with a small number of glowworms collected from an authorised local donor site. Cooper bred them in captivity and reared their larvae in Bristol. Further releases are planned, with 1,900 more larvae due to be introduced at Nosterfield later this year.
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