Thousands of rare grasshoppers released in Norfolk after 86 years

The large marsh grasshopper has returned to Norfolk after 86 years, following a conservation project to restore the rare insect’s population in the region’s wetlands. The species has now hatched in the wild in the Broads for the first time since 1939. The return follows the Hop of Hope project, led by Citizen Zoo, in which volunteers raised thousands of grasshoppers before releasing them at restored wetland sites.According to Natural England, UK, the initiative received funding through Natural England’s £13 million Species Recovery Programme Capital Grants scheme. The project also supports England’s wider conservation efforts, as the government aims to halt species decline by 2030.Large marsh grasshopper returns to the Norfolk Broads after 86 yearsThe Hop of Hope project has brought the large marsh grasshopper back to the Norfolk Broads, where large marsh grasshoppers hatched in the wild for the first time since 1939. The species disappeared from the area after habitat degradation damaged its wetland habitats.To restore its population, the conservation project released grasshoppers at suitable sites across Norfolk. Reportedly, the project has now achieved the first wild hatching of...