While the Large Marsh Grasshopper (LMG) is the biggest and most handsome of all British grasshoppers, it's also one of the rarest. The degradation and loss of their preferred habitat, fens and peat bogs, has constricted their range considerably. As of 2018, it survived almost exclusively in the valley mires and wet heaths of the New Forest, Dorset and Somerset Levels. However, its former distribution included wetland habitats across Norfolk and the Cambridgeshire fens.

Where it started

Citizen Zoo is working to create a world filled with wildlife - including some of our most endangered insects. In 2018, with consent from Natural England and the Forestry Commission, we collected a small number of wild LMG from several New Forest sites. Half were released directly into a restored wetland in Norfolk, while the rest were brought into captivity to breed under carefully controlled conditions. In these settings, they laid many more eggs than they typically would in the wild. The eggs were collected and hatched the following summer for home rearing.

In 2019, we recruited and trained our first group of dedicated volunteer ‘Citizen Keepers’, who spent eight weeks collecting fresh grass daily to feed the growing young grasshoppers in home vivariums. This approach proved highly successful, with far more grasshoppers reaching adulthood in captivity than would have survived naturally in the wild.

Our first Large Marsh Grasshopper reintroduction

After a successful breeding season, it was incredibly exciting to release the first home-reared Large Marsh Grasshoppers into the wild in Norfolk in 2019. Our collaborative model - combining dedicated Citizen Keepers, expert guidance, and a robust captive breeding protocol - has since enabled us to release more than 8,500 adult grasshoppers across seven sites in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.

Following years of careful work, our two main receptor sites now show strong signs of self-sustaining populations, with grasshoppers breeding and reproducing in the wild. This success is thanks to more than 60 Citizen Keepers who have contributed since 2018 - a remarkable collective effort that has made the project possible.

Hundreds more volunteers have supported the initiative by helping our Keepers and joining community events. In July and August 2025, we carried out our latest releases, including our first reintroduction back into Cambridgeshire - the species’ first presence in the county for over 40 years.

As climate change and habitat fragmentation continue to threaten this species, the commitment and collaboration of our partners, scientists, keepers, and statutory bodies give us confidence that together we can turn the tide and secure a future for this rare and remarkable insect.

Get involved to help the Large Marsh Grasshopper

To support the project why not donate today to help us protect the large marsh grasshopper? To find out more about becoming a Citizen Keeper, head to our webpage here to register interest. Or to pledge your support long term, why not become a member?