The large Marsh Grasshopper was once widespread throughout the south and East of England, including Norfolk and the Fens, but is now limited to a handful of wet bogs in Dorest and the New Forest. The loss and degradation of the peat bogs and fens that represent its preferred habitat is the main reasons for this decline, and the Large Marsh Grasshopper is now classified by the IUCN as “Near Threatened.”

A collective of local wildlife trusts and organisations, led by rewilding charity Citizen Zoo, are engaged in an ambitious project to recolonize restored boggy habitats with viable populations of Large Marsh Grasshoppers, reducing the threat of extinction.

Each year, the team carefully collects egg pods from the few sites where the Grasshoppers currently breed and entrust these pods to the care of ‘citizen keepers’ who are provided with the equipment and training to each raise up to 150 adult Grasshoppers over a period of 3-4 weeks. Once raised, these adult populations are released into restored habitats within their historical range. To date, over 2000 individuals have been released into sites across Norfolk, and some populations have now become self-sustaining.

Not only is the project helping save a local species from the threat of extinction, it is also involving local communities, generating knowledge, enthusiasm and ownership of conservation and rewilding.

FROM THE BRINK became involved the with ‘Hop of Hope’ in 2024, with both a small financial grant and by volunteering as citizen keepers, raising our own population of Large Marsh Grasshopper which were successfully reintroduced to a site in Norfolk. We are thrilled to be supporting the project once again in 2025.