Volunteers reintroduce glowworms to a Yorkshire nature reserve

Peter Cooper and a group of volunteers are reintroducing glowworms to the Nosterfield Nature Reserve in North Yorkshire, England.

Cooper breeds the bioluminescent insects in his garden shed before releasing the larvae into the wetland site. These insects have not been seen in the area for 100 years. The Nosterfield Nature Reserve covers 600 acres of old limestone quarries that the Lower Ure Conservation Trust rewilded to create a habitat for the Lampyridae family.

This family of insects includes fireflies and glowworms. While these insects were once common across Britain, they have become difficult to re-establish in many parts of the country. Cooper and his team of volunteers, who call themselves glow-getters, have developed skills in rearing larvae in captivity to help restore the local population. Cooper plans to release 1,900 larvae this year.

He says the project will not be officially successful until the offspring of these larvae reach maturity and begin to glow in the wild around 2030.