Usually found in woodland areas in southern regions of the UK, glow-worms are a group of light-producing insects that emit a beautiful – yep, you guessed it –glow. Strangely though, they’re not actually worms, but rather beetles.
These ethereal little critters are a sight to behold and are especially prevalent in the High Weald – but sadly over the past 20 years, the population of glow-worms is estimated to have declined by 3.5% per year in south-east England.
Now, one man is determined to change this, according to an interview with BBC News.
Young conservationist committed to rescuing glow-worms from decline
Ecologist Pete Cooper spoke with BBC News about his passion for increasing the glow-worm population in the UK, saying it “has been the symbol of the other world, of love, of hope, of rebirth, of simply the great mysteries of nature”.
In fact, glow-worms were quite literally a light in the dark for Cooper during the first lockdown in 2020. It was then that he started to breed them in his Bristol flat and, following some inevitable hiccups, he eventually was able to release them at various sites.
One of these is the historic Elvetham Hotel near Fleet. It’s here that he is creating a safe environment for the insects to breed and grow with over a thousand glow-worm larvae having been released here in just two years.
This summer, following years of patient conservation efforts, Cooper discovered one glowing female.
“It’s a long way to go before I would describe this release project as being successful, but that’s the thing about conservation; it is a long game,” Cooper said to the BBC.
Where to find glow-worms in the UK
According to The Natural History Museum, these glowing bugs are most active between May and September – but glow-worm larvae can be seen between April and October.
They tend to be found in locations with a lot of snails, as these are their meal of choice, but they are often associated with limestone areas, too.
If you’re keen to see glow-worms during their season, The Wildlife Trust suggests these trails during June and July:
- Cambridgeshire, Cherry Hinton Chalk Pits
- Devon, Bystock Pools (During some summer nights the number of lights can approach 100 in the reserve’s grassland, a magical sight on a late evening walk.)
- Essex, Iron Latch - join a glow-worm walk in summer
- London, Frays Farm Meadows and Denham Lock Wood
- Suffolk, Blaxhall Common, Newbourne Springs
- Yorkshire, Townsclose Hills
I know what I’m doing next summer.