Bog Bush Cricket Captive Breeding Lead

The Hop of Hope is a national rewilding initiative that, until recently, has been focused on restoring the Large Marsh Grasshopper (LMG) across East Anglia. The loss of invertebrate species such as the LMG in these areas follows the loss and fragmentation of important habitats, such as wet fens and peat bogs, that they rely on.

Now, Citizen Zoo is looking to expand the scope of the Hop of Hope project to include the Bog Bush Cricket (BBC), another species that has declined over recent decades throughout East Anglia. Therefore, we are looking for a dedicated and practical individual to support the development and delivery of the protocol to support the recovery of one of Britain’s threatened insects.

This is an opportunity to play a part in an ambitious new rewilding programme.

This project is an extension of the successful sister project, which trains local volunteers or Citizen Keepers to home rear and release LMG. To date, the LMG project has seen a huge success:

• 8,500+ grasshoppers successfully reared and translocated.
• Restored populations thriving in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, sourced from the New Forest.
• A proven model for community‑led entomological rewilding.

While the LMG project has paved the way, the Bog Bush Cricket presents its own unique challenges. Initial research by an experienced volunteer has already begun, focusing on captive breeding viability, oviposition (egg‑laying) preferences, and dietary requirements.

We are looking for someone to continue these trials to further increase our understanding of the BBC and how we could make this project successful.

You’ll be working alongside Citizen Zoo and Stuart Green, the Lead Entomologist on the LMG project. Over time, your role will shift toward more active involvement in helping the project take off and run smoothly, leading seasonal breeding, contributing to the care and preparation of animals for release, and managing our volunteer Citizen Keepers.

The Hop of Hope Project has grown significantly over recent years, both in scale and ambition. Stuart currently leads the LMG breeding programme, but with funding secured to extend the project to encompass BBC, we need extra capacity to ensure we meet our deliverables.

We’re also planning for the future. As this programme grows, we’re looking for an individual who can grow with the project, taking on meaningful responsibilities over time and helping embed long‑term resilience in the delivery of captive rearing and release efforts.

• Building on the work conducted thus far, you will be tasked with applying our methodology and processes to physically rearing BBC in captive conditions (in your own home).
• Leading surveys and collections across sites with known populations of BBC.
• Experimenting with breeding Bog Bush Cricket at home, including head starting animals, breeding adults and overwintering eggs.
• Researching how we would prepare eggs for overwintering.
• Learning the key challenges of captive invertebrate rearing and how we could adapt this to suit the BBC.
• Writing a protocol and building a programme for the project.

We currently have funding for the 2026 breeding season and we hope to secure funds to support this work thereafter. The research and outputs from Year 1 will lay the groundwork for funding bids to help us leverage additional support to continue the project.

We plan to make this an ongoing, sustainable project that can oversee the release of BBC across various sites in East Anglia.

We’re seeking someone who is:

• Interested in and/or experienced with insects or other invertebrates
• Reliable, proactive and able to work independently and efficiently.
• Comfortable working independently and with others
• Based in or around Norfolk or Cambridgeshire (or able to travel as needed)
• Able to house breeding cages (locust cages) approx. 0.5m x 0.5m
• Holds a UK driving licence and has access to a car
• Willing to avoid flea treatments during the breeding season and not keep invertebrates/reptiles at home (biosecurity)