Throughout this year, the Peatland Programme is celebrating the incredible biodiversity that peatlands support through a series of species showcases introducing the weird and wonderful plants, animals and other organisms that call peatlands home.

Our latest showcase is released to coincide with Butterfly Conservation's Big Butterfly Count, which runs until Sunday 4th August. See if you can be lucky enough to spot the large heath butterfly, which relies on two iconic peatland plants for its lifecycle: hare's tail cottongrass, featured in our previous showcase on cottongrasses, and cross-leaved heath. We discuss efforts across the UK to understand the status and needs of this rare butterfly and restore its peatland habitat, and celebrate the partnerships between researchers, volunteers, charities and other organisations working together for this understated bog beauty. Thanks to the work of the Great Manchester Wetlands Species Reintroduction Project, the 'Manchester argus' is back!

Read our species showcase to find out more.