C. mercuriale: Success could be transferred to other areas

The southern damselfly (Coenagrion mercuriale) is a bright blue insect that has disappeared from many parts of southern England and Wales due to land drainage and pollution.

But, now, thanks to the efforts of wildlife groups, it has re-appeared on the Purbeck Estate in Dorset.

In February, the National Trust, which owns the land, the Environment Agency and the Dorset Wildlife Trust invested �3,500 and many man-hours in a project to create the perfect stream habitat for the threatened damselfly.

Now, the Purbeck Estate - part of the lowland Dorset heath immortalised in the novels of Thomas Hardy - is now thought to be the first site in the country to have lost a population of damselfly and then got it back through human intervention.

Globally scarce

The species is globally scarce. Seven small areas of the UK contain one quarter of the entire world population.

These are in Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Mid Glamorgan, the Gower Peninsula, Pembrokeshire and Anglesey.

If others follow, it'll be a real success story that we hope we can replicate at other sites across the country Emma Rothero, Environment Agency

Emma Rothero, of the Environment Agency, said: "It's amazing that we've seen almost instant results.

"On our very first visit to the finished site, we spotted a male specimen on the water's edge.

"If others follow, it'll be a real success story that we hope we can replicate at other sites across the country."

The makeover began in February 2003 when overgrown trees were removed.

Now, a more open wetland habitat within a heathland landscape has evolved, featuring plants like bog pimpernel, rushes and ragged robin.

The wildlife trusts, with help from the Environment Agency, funded the project as part of Dorset's biodiversity partnership.

Andrew Pollard, county biodiversity officer based at Dorset Wildlife Trust, said he was certain more successes could follow.

"We set up the partnership to promote joint projects like this and it shows that by working together we can turn around years of decline and help threatened species to survive," he said.

Restoration project

The success of the restoration project has also been an important step for the National Trust.

It is trying to transform a 400-acre area of farmland just south of Wareham to its original heathland state.

Dorset lowland heath has been in decline for many years and the National Trust, which owns 3,200 hectares (8,000 acres) of land at Purbeck, is working to restore this unique habitat.

This type of heath is one of the richest habitats in Europe and is the only part of the UK that hosts all six of the British reptiles: slow worm, adder, grass snake, smooth snake, common lizard and sand lizard.

National Trust spokeswoman Angela Peters said: "Over the course of the last century, areas of wild Dorset lowland heath have been squeezed into smaller and smaller areas.

"We want to ensure that this vitally important habitat can thrive. It's an inspirational landscape and one of the country's truly unique environments.

"We want to ensure it will still be here to inspire the imagination for generations to come."