With nature's crisis escalating and one in every six species in the UK at risk of extinction, a mission to reintroduce ten endangered species of animals and plants in south Cumbria is celebrating success.

The triumphant reintroductions are the result of the University of Cumbria's exhaustive three-year, £2 million BOOM (Back On Our Map) project, conducted in partnership with Morecambe Bay Partnership and supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Project manager Jo Sayers said: "We are confident that much of what we have achieved will continue way into the future, with partners and volunteers carrying on our work."

She observed that BOOM has successfully brought the hazel dormouse back to woodlands on the Cumbrian/Lancashire border

In addition, a new brood of the country's tiniest butterfly, the small blue, has been successfully re-established.

Ms Sayers said: “We brought extremely rare plants on the brink of survival back to former strongholds, including extinct goldilocks aster, now in Cumbria for the first time since 2007, and encouraged passionate new conservationists.

“Volunteers were our backbone, more than 150 of them, putting in 12,000 hours over 1,700 days and have done everything from feeding dormice to establishing habitats and growing fly-catching sundews on windowsills.

The project also reached communities with limited accessibility to the outdoors, including prisoners at HMP Haverigg, communities in Barrow, mental health charity Mind in Furness, and young people with learning difficulties from Beaumont College in Ulverston.

The ambitious project also targeted the reintroduction of the pine marten, to help woodland ecosystems and red squirrel populations.

The first translocation from Scotland is scheduled for this autumn.

Ms Sayers said: “It’s been about community and partnership working and results speak for themselves.

"Over 4,600 aspen trees were planted, 6,000 cowslips established for butterfly food, university students gained unique opportunities and permanent jobs, prisoners achieved coveted John Muir Awards, pledging to work for nature after release.

"We leave this legacy with great pride, but mindful of how much more needs to be done. The will is there, but it has to be backed by financial commitment.”

Helen Featherstone, director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, praised the project.

She said: "This project is a wonderful example of how collaborative work can bring communities together, further a sense of pride in place and have a positive impact on the natural environment around us.

“It’s fantastic to know that, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the University of Cumbria and its partners have ensured the safeguarding of our natural heritage in south Cumbria for future generations.”

Academic lead for BOOM, Professor Ian Convery, says the project demonstrated the reversal of biodiversity loss was possible.

He said: “It was innovative, directly involving communities in decision-making for species restoration and translocation.

“This resulted in local people, and many others not normally involved in conservation, becoming an integral part of the successes.”