The Planning and Infrastructure Bill was announced as a ‘win-win’ for nature and development. But as it stands, it could dismantle vital nature safeguards without effective replacement, allowing developers to ‘pay cash to trash’ nature. The draft Bill could soon be passed – but there’s a chance to amend the wording now, while it’s...
Discover the brilliance of burying beetles with Dr Ellie Bladon, an evolutionary ecologist based in the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge. I think my first introduction to the circle of life was from the Disney film, The Lion King. Animals are born, they grow, they breed and they die. But if...
The Wildlife Trusts have published a briefing, urging the Government to ‘fill in the blanks’ to avoid the Planning & Infrastructure Bill undermining vital nature protections. The Bill is currently passing through Parliament and as it does, there is ample opportunity for Ministers to deliver on a promise to collaborate with the nature sector...
Ever wondered what footballers and Batman have in common with hoverflies? Well, it’s all in the name. Both have lent their name to a species of hoverfly: one has stripes like a football kit, while another bears a symbol just like Batman.With around 270 species of hoverfly in the UK, you are likely to...
Improve your chances of seeing wildlife with fieldcraft tips from Matthew Capper, keen birdwatcher, photographer and head of communications at Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Observing nature everywhereWherever I go, I’m constantly on the lookout for wildlife. As I walk down a street, I notice the ticking call of a wren or repetitive notes of a...
The Wildlife Trusts congratulate the UK Government’s decision to open the door for licenced reintroductions of beavers into the wild and its acknowledgment of the free-living populations in several parts of England. Today the Government announced that applications to return beavers into river catchments in England will be accepted. This paves the way for...
There has been widespread misinformation blaming nature as a blocker to growth in the run up to the Chancellor’s speech this week, writes Joe Keegan, public affairs officer at The Wildlife Trusts. In 2021 Rachel Reeves announced her ambition to become ‘Britain’s first green chancellor’ – however, recent announcements on planning and airport expansion...
Joan Edwards, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at The Wildlife Trusts, said: “For years, experts and more than 300,000 wildlife supporters have called for the ban against neonicotinoids to be upheld and The Wildlife Trusts are delighted with this decision. “There is simply no place in modern sustainable agriculture for highly toxic pesticides...
More than 70% of the UK’s land is farmed in some form, so the way that this farmland is managed has huge implications for wildlife. As farmland developed, may animals adapted to take advantage of the habitats it provided. There were hedgerows to hide in, ponds to drink from and a wide variety of...
Farming policy needs a stronger vision and increased funds to deliver for farmers, food security and nature, say The Wildlife Trusts Today, The Wildlife Trusts publish a briefing – Environmental Land Management schemes & Food Security – the case for increased investment in nature for UK Food Security – ahead of the Oxford Farming...
25th December – 5th January 12 Days Wild is our festive nature challenge, encouraging you to do one wild thing a day from the 25th December to the 5th January each year. In those quiet days between Christmas and New Year, winter wildlife is just waiting to be explored! Your wild acts could be little things to help nature – like recycling...
Wild deer are some of the most iconic mammals of the countryside. These beautiful creatures, often elusive and camouflaged, can appear as fleeting shadows in the forest, disappearing before you catch more than a glimpse. But, if you’re patient and still, you may hear the soft crunch of leaves underfoot. For many, there’s nothing...