Butterflies return to restored farmland in West Sussex

Experts observed 5,290 butterflies, including the rare small blue and dingy skipper, on Halnaker Hill farm in West Sussex, England. The butterflies appeared two years after the owners converted 133 hectares of previously intensely farmed wheatfields into a commercial nature restoration project.

The rapid return of nature surprised researchers, who had expected a slower recovery. The project demonstrates a potential model for farmland restoration, though the long-term effects remain to be seen.