More than 24 acres of grassland in the New Forest have been transformed.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust said the grassland in the New Forest has been given a "new lease of life" thanks to a "novel approach".

The wildlife charity said they have planted wildflowers on the land to help boost insect numbers.

It said this is to help combat the declining numbers of flying insects in the UK.

Senior nature recovery manager (New Forest and Lower Test Valley) for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Tracé Cooper-Williams, said: "The UK is experiencing a serious decline in flying insects – a staggering 60 per cent over the last 20 years.

"Many of those species are pollinators, and as part of our work for the SSF project, we wanted to do something to help those species in the New Forest."

The charity has also been working with six private landowners in the western part of the New Forest as part of the Species Survival Fund (SSF) project.

The aim of this partnership is to increase the number of animal species and improve their habitats within the forest.

This project is led by the New Forest National Park Authority.

The Wildlife Trust is creating stepping stones of habitats throughout the landscape, allowing wildlife to expand from the heart of the forest to its outskirts.

As part of the project, more than 550 metres of new hedgerows have been planted to provide additional habitats for insects and the animals dependent on them, such as birds and bats.

The charity is collaborating with farmers and landowners to increase the number of flowering plants on their land.

In one field alone, as many as 4,000 wildflower plug plants have been planted, covering an area measuring one metre by 800 metres.

Despite the accomplishment, the Wildlife Trust faces challenges in identifying suitable fields for its conservation work, as factors like previous land use, soil quality, and current management practices must be considered.

The fund was developed by DEFRA and its agencies, and is being administered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in collaboration with Natural England and the Environment Agency.