NEW techniques aimed at supporting wildlife in Lydford Forest have led to an 'explosion' in the number of butterflies living and breeding in the woods.
Forestry Commission foreman David Powell is hoping the work will encourage the internationally rare heath fritillary butterfly to make Lydford its home, apart from more common species.
Mr Powell said: 'There has been an explosion in the number of butterflies there, thanks to new mowing techniques we've been using in our forest field.
'By cutting two-metre wide strips through the hay we've created sun traps and breeding sites which butterflies love.
'Between the mown parts the vegetation is left untouched. There are all sorts of plants there along with some coppice trees.'
Mr Powell said there were plenty of the butterflies favourite food plants in the woods at Lydford — and now ride sides around the forest have been mowed and scalloped, even more butterfly breeding sites have been created.
As the result of the work, there are now 'corridors' of butterfly habitat, connecting different parts of the woodland near Lydford Gorge.
Mr Powell hopes these corridors will bring together isolated populations of insects. The Forestry Commission has developed the wildlife scheme in partnership with Butterfly Conservation.
The new-mown one-and-a-half acre butterfly area is among oak woodlands, containing specimen trees planted in the 1860s, adjacent to the Okehampton to Tavistock railway line.
Anyone requiring information about visiting the woods should call 01392 832262.