Hearing about the return of a species or finding wildlife in an unexpected place can be one of the best things about working for Dorset Wildlife Trust. 

Recently we’ve seen interesting marine wildlife being washed up from the far reaches of the ocean, such as the Portuguese man ‘o war. 

One of our more exotic visitors, the Portuguese man ‘o war was last seen in 2012 in Dorset, and is one of the rarer species to be washed up on our beaches in recent weeks. 

Whilst they may resemble a jellyfish, they are in fact a floating colony, formed by coral-like hydroids living joined together to create venom filled stinging tentacles, perfectly adapted to capturing prey.

Their colour and shape are very distinctive, resembling a deflated purple and blue balloon with ribbons underneath, but be careful as they can sting if touched, even when dead.

A return to Dorset of the terrestrial kind is one of Dorset’s rarest plants, the starved-wood sedge. 

Named due to the few seeds it produces, its decline is also put down to reduced quality woodland habitat. It may not be one the prettiest plants to look at, but it’s made an amazing comeback to Dorset, and is famous for being one of the UK’s rarest plants. 

In 1980 the entire population fell to just one plant, with another plant arriving in Surrey after the great storm of 1986. 

Since then conservationists have been working to get the population back to over 100 plants.

The re-introduction of the starved wood-sedge to Dorset comes after they were reared at Kew Gardens and are now due to be returned to their former site in Dorset, having been seen last in Cranborne Chase in the 1920s.

The plant will be re-introduced on the Edmondsham Estate which is also a site recognised by DWT as being an SNCI (Site of Nature Conservation Importance). 

These sites are valuable areas of semi-natural habitats and often hold populations of important plants and the insects and other wildlife they support. 

DWT can offer extra resources to look after the plants once they are released. 

Dorset Wildlife Trust is launching Green Thursday on November 23 for its online shop, where 100 per cent of the profits from the 24 hour online sale will contribute directly 
to conservation work in Dorset, helping to care for species such as the starved wood-sedge and other threatened and protected species in Dorset.