ONE of Britain?s most endangered butterflies is being re-introduced to the Tamar Valley. The Heath Fritillary butterfly, which is facing extinction nationwide, has not been seen in Greenscombe Wood on the Cornish side of the Tamar Valley for at least two years. Now the charity Butterfly Conservation has joined forces with English Nature and the Duchy of Cornwall to reintroduce it to the area. Together they are striving to re-create habitat conditions where the Heath Fritillary can breed and thrive. The woodland is being managed to ensure that it is, once again, the perfect environment for the Heath Fritillary. Dr Caroline Bulman, senior species ecologist from Butterfly Conservation, said: ?We have been able to restore this Site of Special Scientific Interest to its former glory and reintroduce the Heath Fritillary. ?The success of a similar project on Exmoor has shown that with the correct habitat management, Heath Fritillary populations can be successfully reintroduced. ?We will be managing this site to ensure that this new colony breeds and expands.? Butterfly Conservation members have reared the butterflies from eggs in captivity. The eggs came from a reserve in West Devon ? one of the very few remaining colonies in the South West. If the project is successful, it will become one of just half-a-dozen Heath Fritillary colonies in the country. Heath Fritillary numbers in the UK have declined by almost three-quarters since 1984, reflecting the massive declines in butterfly numbers throughout the UK. Experts believe that butterfly declines herald a deterioration in biodiversity and a large-scale loss of wildlife. The Heath Fritillary is a UK Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Species, and has only five colonies in the UK. Butterfly Conservation and English Nature are working hard to restore numbers and ensure that the butterfly continues to live and breed in the UK.