There have been highs and lows in their work. In spring 2015 vandals set fire to large swathes of coastal grassland, damaging or destroying several Rock-rose sites.
Since then, Trust rangers have kept an especially close eye on the recovery of the Durham Argus and have worked to restore damaged habitats. Recording depleted numbers, but remaining hopeful that the small core population can be nurtured and potentially grow, their efforts have recently experienced a boost.
Ranger Wayne Appleton has taken the lead in a project to identify and map existing, historic and potential Durham Argus sites, producing a solid basis for a more intensive scheme of habitat improvement.