Saving the Blues

The Adonis blue (Polyommatus bellargus) is a small butterfly, with males displaying vivid sky-blue wings and females brown with orange spots. Both sexes have pale brown undersides with black spots. They thrive in chalk grasslands, often seen on low plants like horseshoe vetch.

A Big Chalk Project

Saving the Blues

Lead organisation

Isle of Wight National Landscape

Partner organisations

  • Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
  • National Trust
  • Gift to Nature
  • Local landowners

Project description

The Saving the Blues project, is passionately working to restore the Isle of Wight’s chalk grasslands, which are vital habitats for some of the UK's most beautiful and rare butterflies. These grasslands are home to five incredible species, including the Adonis Blue and Chalk Hill Blue, whose survival depends on the unique plants found in these landscapes. By working closely with landowners, farmers, and conservation partners such as Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Gift to Nature, and The Garlic Farm, we are taking bold steps to restore and enhance these crucial habitats, ensuring that future generations can continue to marvel at these vibrant butterflies.

Through targeted actions like scrub removal, traditional grazing, and the creation of healthier soil, we are creating the perfect conditions for these butterflies to thrive. Sites such as Knighton Down, Brading Down, and Mersley Down are being transformed through dedicated efforts, allowing nectar-rich plants to flourish while providing long-term benefits for both nature and local farmers. This ambitious project will deliver lasting change by 2025, working in unity to safeguard the future of these remarkable landscapes, helping them thrive for wildlife and people alike.

Project location

The chalk grasslands of the east Wight at Arreton Down SSSI, Brading Down Local Nature Reserve, Bonchurch and Bembridge Down SSSI.

Contribution to Big Chalk

The project will deliver improved management of 158ha of chalk grassland habitat across six sites through better fencing, cattle management, scrub removal and water provision.

This will provide the mixture of warm, south-facing, short-grass habitats and foodplants needed for the butterfly caterpillars to feed as well as a variety of nectar sources for the adults.

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Cows grazing peacefully on the rolling slopes of The Garlic Farm in the Isle of Wight, with lush green fields and distant views of the countryside.
A tractor clearing scrubland at Brading Down, with a backdrop of open countryside and scattered vegetation being removed to restore the landscape.
Sheep grazing on the scrub and grassland at Arreton Down to keep the grass in good condition for nectar-loving insects, with rolling hills and expansive countryside in the background.

Do you have a project that could strengthen the future of southern England’s iconic chalk and limestone landscapes?

The Big Chalk programme brings together a dynamic suite of partner-led projects, each unique in its focus, area, and partnerships but sharing a commitment to our collective vision.

If your project contributes to the Big Chalk mission, we invite you to register it as a Big Chalk Project. Registered projects gain access to networking, shared learning, and best practice—alongside the Big Chalk brand, boosting your profile and connecting you to a powerful, growing network of partners.

Together, these projects form a united effort to secure the future of southern England’s chalk and limestone landscapes, making a lasting impact for nature and communities.

Register your project
By Isle of Wight National Landscape
02 September 2024

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