The Government wants to ditch laws that require housebuilders not to harm rivers. But we know these rules work – they enable houses to be built and rivers to be protected. Here’s how, writes Ali Morse. Rivers in crisis The Government’s proposed amendments to the Levelling Up Bill will provide a means of weakening...
Rivers in crisis: the polluter is supposed to pay – but now the taxpayer will pick up the bill instead
(Picture by Terry Whittaker/2020VISION) As the Government announces its plans to weaken the rules that prevent pollution of some of our most important wildlife sites, Ali Morse explores the detrimental impact this will have on us and our natural world. In a ‘Brexit Bonus’ for housing developers, Rishi Sunak’s Government yesterday announced its plans...
The elephant in the room
Late summer is the best time to discover one of the UK’s chunkiest caterpillars, the Elephant Hawk-moth. Photo – Elephant Hawk moth caterpillar © Alan Price Pretty in pink Hawk-moths are arguably our most impressive moths. They’re big and often boldly patterned. You can find them drawn to lights, or sometimes stumble across them...
Cause for great concern as sea surface temperatures reach all time high
Last week, the Copernicus climate modelling service has reported an all time high in the global average daily sea surface temperatures. Kathryn Brown, Director of Climate Change and Evidence, explains why this is reason for great concern. We are deeply worried by the trends being reported by climate scientists today and over the past...
Surprising sea life
Our Wilder Coast Project is gearing up for National Marine Week, which takes place from Saturday, 22nd July to Sunday, 6th August. See the posters below to join in one of our events or campaigns and find out more about the work we do to protect our shores and seas. Discover ten surprising species...
How important is your view?
We’re asking people to take a picture of their view from a window, share it with us and then answer a few simple questions. Connecting with nature looks different for everyone, it isn’t just hiking into the wilderness. It’s also seeing a robin outside your window whilst you’re having breakfast, or admiring a wildflower...
Keeping nature in mind
30 Days Wild is the perfect opportunity to discover the health benefits of spending time in nature. Rob Gordon shares some of his top tips for relaxing in nature this June. Spending time in nature is something that brings a lot of people happiness. Whether it’s the peaceful sound of birds, rustling leaves, and...
No Nature. No Future.
Nature is under attack from plans by UK Government that puts at risk thousands of crucial laws that protect our environment A new Bill, officially called the Retained EU Law (REUL) Bill, would give Ministers sweeping powers to remove or replace over 4,000 laws in the future, without public consultation or scrutiny by Parliament. If...
Paws for thought
The UK is a nation of both dog lovers and nature lovers, but are those two passions compatible? We spoke to some Wildlife Trust staff who balance both. Dogs are more popular than ever, with an estimated 34% of UK households giving ‘man’s best friend’ a home in 2022. All these dogs need fresh...
Great Big Nature Survey
Results will help shape action to protect and restore our natural world The Wildlife Trusts has launched their biggest ever public survey about wildlife found across the British Isles. The charity wants to learn more about what people think about our nature and how we, as a society, should protect it. Ambitions also include...
Pet owners urged to help keep wildlife and livestock safe this spring
Tee Valley Wildlife Trust ask the public to keep dogs on leads to protect nature The Wildlife Trust are urging dog owners to keep their pets on short leads now that birds are nesting, species are emerging from hibernation and to protect grazing livestock. Experts say dogs off leads are one of the biggest...
The woodland drummers
Headbangers Whilst some birds sing to attract a mate and intimidate their neighbours, woodpeckers take a different approach. They hammer their beak against a tree trunk at incredibly high speeds – up to 40 strikes per second for the great spotted woodpecker. There’s no denying that’s impressive! There’s been some debate about how woodpeckers...