Conservationists have said they are delighted after a plant survey at Queendown Warren Nature Reserve showed that the number of the rare plant species, Kentish milkwort, had increased by 83% from the previous year.

On Tuesday, 4th June a volunteer task force worked alongside staff from Kent Wildlife Trust and the Species Recovery Trust to survey the population of the plant at the reserve, situated just outside of Sittingbourne.

The team was encouraged after counting 86 species, an increase from 47 in 2023 to 17 initially planted in 2021.

The critically endangered species is the rarest of the milkworts and grows on chalk grassland in Kent. It is a subspecies of dwarf milkwort which had declined in population due to scrub encroachment, lack of grazing and ploughing.

Milkwort plays an important role in supporting biodiversity by providing food and shelter for various insects, birds, and small mammals.