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Rare UK Plant Rescued From Footpath Peril
24 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Critically endangered starved wood-sedge found growing on a public footpath.
- Conservationists are moving plants for propagation and reintroduction.
- The Species Recovery Trust aims to save 50 species by 2050.
Conservationists have launched an urgent rescue for the starved wood-sedge, a critically endangered plant in the UK. This rare species, found in only two native sites, had begun growing perilously close to a public footpath in Axbridge, Somerset, risking destruction.
The Species Recovery Trust, after years of safeguarding the plant, decided to relocate it to a specialist nursery. There, it will be propagated to increase numbers before being reintroduced to its original habitat, ensuring its survival.
Plans are also in motion to establish two new populations in the Mendip Hills National Landscape. This effort is part of a broader initiative by the trust to save 50 species from extinction by 2050.
