Eversdown’s Orchids: restoring Military Orchid to Oxfordshire

The Eversdown Orchids project seeks to restore a neglected chalk grassland site for the nationally rare and protected Military Orchid, finally reinstating this long-lost species to the Oxfordshire flora. The Military Orchid is a fully protected species under Section 8 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981. Funding will permit scrub clearance on site (c. 1 hectare), and the erection of stock fencing (c. 800 metres), allowing the site to be grazed for the first time in decades. This will fund the fencing while a FIPL grant from the Chilterns Conservation Board’s will fund the scrub clearance. In May 2024 the Military Orchid was rediscovered here. After some scrub clearance in 2024 at least 22 plants appear to be surviving at the site. There is evidence that the Fly Orchid and the White Helleborine (both a priority species under the NERC 2006 act) may well appear here too.

The Military orchid is highly sensitive to environmental changes and thrives only in specific conditions - chalky grasslands, meadows and woodland edges. It's presence indicates a healthy, biodiverse ecosystem with balanced soil, fungi and pollinator populations. It's presence helps sustain specific pollinators which are vital for broader biodiversity and food systems.