Glow worms are, in fact, a remarkable type of beetle. Night-time light pollution is one theory suggested to account for its diminishing numbers. However, a small colony of this once common insect has been known from the Silkin Way and Shakespeare Meadow in Coalport for many years. They are especially keen to mate in the habitat along the old railway line near the Coalport Orchard where glowing females can be seen after dark in small numbers during June and July. They give off their ghostly green light from a perch as they try to attract mates.
While it is known that glow worms feed on slugs and snails (they feast on their prey once they have paralysed it) our overall understanding of the creature remains limited. In order to more successfully accommodate their needs, the Trust is monitoring its known populations closely, implementing a management regime to create a habitat mix of short and long grass, and dense scrub.