UK Nature and Environment

Stephen Fry is urging the public to join calls for Government action to save the UK’s oceans in its first 100 days in office.

The actor has teamed up with the Blue Marine Foundation, a charity dedicated to restoring the ocean to health, to raise awareness over issues like bottom trawling and overfishing.

In a video shared online and social media on Wednesday, he said: “Our oceans sustains all life on Earth as we know it.

An 'ambitious' Ben Nevis nature restoration project has been launched by a community organisation.

The Nevis Landscape Partnership, has secured over £80,000 of funding from the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund to launch the Nevis Nature Network.

The landscape-scale nature restoration project encompasses the iconic Glen Nevis and Ben Nevis. It aims to work in partnership with landowners to restore and expand degraded ancient habitats and secure a future for rare and vulnerable species.

This iconic landscape attracts about half a million visitors every year with well over one hundred thousand of those summiting Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in the British Isles.

It was once woodland where Harold Godwinson, the last crowned Anglo-Saxon king, rode in pursuit of deer. Over recent decades, the hillside with a panoramic view of London has become arable fields, pony paddocks and a Christmas tree plantation.

But now Harold’s Park, a 200-hectare (500 acre) farm just north of the M25 on the edge of the capital, is to be rewilded and returned to something like the tangled wood pasture once enjoyed by King Harold.

Ancient oak pollards will be allowed to spread their acorns, old hedges will sprout into the fields, field drains will be broken up and ponds restored, helping invertebrates, wildflowers and birds and people rediscover the hillside, which enjoys spectacular views of the London skyline from the Shard to Wembley stadium.

Far out in the Channel, the lights of ships at anchor flickered while the lighthouse at Anvil Point emitted its steadier beam. Late on, a crescent moon shone a coppery orange.

But, undoubtedly, the most extraordinary light source to be seen was the vivid green gleam from the glow-worms that inhabit the herb-rich grassland on the cliffs and quarries in this tucked-away corner of southern Britain.

“It is a wonderful sight,” said Ben Cooke, the National Trust area ranger for Purbeck in Dorset, whose job includes monitoring the glow-worms and caring for their habitat.

Three stranded dolphins were saved in a successful rescue mission by residents on Orkney.

The mammals washed up on the sand in the Bay of Tuquoy, near Westray on Friday evening.

The alarm was raised at 5.30pm but due to the rural location British Divers Marine Life Rescue medics were some time away.

A frantic rescue operation was launched by a team of locals, who were given instructions by the charity to maintain the dolphins' conditions until they arrived.

The pair of Roseate Terns nesting in Hampshire has successfully fledged two chicks, with the juvenile birds being seen around the colony at Normandy Marsh.

One of Britain's rarest and localised breeding species, few Roseate Tern pairs found are found nesting away from the species' stronghold at Coquet Island in Northumberland.

However, a pair settled in the tern colony at Normandy Lagoon in May – and the Hampshire Ornithological Society (HOS) initially minimised publicity about the birds. Photos later showed that both the male and the female had been ringed at Rockabill Island in Co Dublin, in 2017 and 2018 respectively, where an internationally important colony of the species is found.

In a nation grappling with a severe decline in insect populations, a recent study by Make It Wild presents a beacon of hope.

The conservation group’s latest moth surveys in North Yorkshire reveal a promising increase in these nocturnal pollinators, underscoring the critical importance of rewilding and habitat preservation.

The decline in the UK’s insects has reached alarming levels, with leading entomologist Dave Goulson estimating a 90 to 95 percent drop compared to a century ago, and a stark 78 percent decrease just within the last year. This decline is vividly illustrated by the dwindling numbers of insects found on car number plates—a modern method of measuring population density that reflects broader environmental trends.

Goals to stop the decline of nature and clean up the air and water in England are slipping out of reach, a new report has warned.

An audit of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), which is the mechanism by which the government’s legally binding targets for improving nature should be met, has found that plans for thriving plants and wildlife and clean air are deteriorating. This plan was supposed to replace the EU-derived environmental regulations the UK used until the Environment Act was passed in 2021 after Brexit.

The report found that there was no data to measure many of the metrics such as habitat creation for wildlife and the status of sites of special scientific interest. It also highlighted that the government was off track to meet its woodland creation targets, and that water leakage from pipes had in fact increased since the targets were set.

West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (WYRFS) are tackling the fire off Wessendenhead Road in Meltham.

A total of 10 pumps are at the scene from Huddersfield, Halifax, Skelmanthorpe, Slaithwaite, Mirfield, Cleckheaton, Dewsbury, Ossett and Meltham stations.

Specialist wildlife teams are also in attendance, along with five additional pumps and support appliances.

A WYFRS spokesperson said: “This is a 4km fire front. Crews are using beaters and a water relay to tackle the situation.”

A council has committed to measures that it has said will help hedgehogs thrive.

They are officially classed as vulnerable to extinction in the UK and were added to the "red list" of Britain's under-threat mammals in 2020.

South Ribble Council said the Hedgehog Action Plan was about giving them "room to roam" to reduce the number of them killed on the roads.

Ideas included building ramps on ditches and ponds and leaving gaps in hedges and fences.

New figures show that 90% of beavers removed from conflict areas in Tayside in 2023/24 were moved to new homes after a huge effort by NatureScot and partners to relocate families and help expand the population across Scotland.

The latest report on beaver management shows that 85 beavers were removed to prevent serious damage to agriculture in the period from January 2023 to April 2024 – down from 108 in 2022.

Of these, 77 animals were trapped and moved to licensed projects, compared with 45 in the previous year. Just eight beavers were killed under licence over the 16-month period, down from 63 in the calendar year 2022.

Using data from a project focused on slug species diversity in British gardens, researchers aimed to understand the accuracy of species identification and its impact on calculating species richness, abundance, and diversity.

Publishing their findings in the journal People and Nature, the scientists analysed the differences between the identifications made by project participants and the experienced slug researcher to give a unique insight in to how often mistakes in identification were made.

Led by Newcastle University and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the research team asked participants to carry out a torchlit search of their gardens once every four weeks, and to collect any slugs they found. Participants then attempted to identify them to species level, before sending them in to the researchers at RHS for identification. The scientists analysed the differences between the identifications made by project participants and the experienced slug researcher to give a unique insight in to how often mistakes in identification were made.

Using data from a project focused on slug species diversity in British gardens, researchers aimed to understand the accuracy of species identification and its impact on calculating species richness, abundance, and diversity.

Publishing their findings in the journal People and Nature, the scientists analysed the differences between the identifications made by project participants and the experienced slug researcher to give a unique insight in to how often mistakes in identification were made.

Led by Newcastle University and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the research team asked participants to carry out a torchlit search of their gardens once every four weeks, and to collect any slugs they found. Participants then attempted to identify them to species level, before sending them in to the researchers at RHS for identification. The scientists analysed the differences between the identifications made by project participants and the experienced slug researcher to give a unique insight in to how often mistakes in identification were made.

About 200,000 trees will be planted across Lincolnshire by 2026, officials have said.

The LincWoods project, a partnership between Lincolnshire County Council and the Woodland Trust, will also see 20,000 metres of hedgerows planted.

The trust said tree planting was "crucial" for enhancing green spaces and biodiversity.

Landowners will be offered subsidies to get involved, though no payment figures have been revealed.

A community group is installing nesting boxes to help protect an endangered species of bird.

Clevedon Swifts, based in Somerset, is made up of members of the community that want to save swifts from further population decline.

They are calling for more boxes to be added to houses and buildings to replace lost natural nesting areas.

A pod of 40 bottlenose dolphins spotted off the Yorkshire coast is one of the biggest seen in the past 12 months, according to an expert.

The dolphins were reported off Filey, North Yorkshire, on Saturday. On the same day another group of about 13 was seen off the coast of Flamborough, East Yorkshire, just before 11:30 BST.

Robin Petch, of the Sea Watch Foundation, said a new-born calf was among the latter group and had been identified by foetal folds "showing it is no more than a few weeks old".

Butterfly numbers are the lowest on record in the UK after a wet spring and summer dampened their chances of mating.

Butterfly Conservation, which runs the Big Butterfly Count, sounded the alarm after this year’s count revealed the worst numbers since it began 14 years ago.

Many people have noticed the lack of fluttering insects in their gardens. Experts say this is due to the unusually wet conditions so far in 2024. Climate breakdown means the UK is more likely to face extremes in weather, and the natural rhythms of the seasons that insects such as butterflies are used to can no longer be relied on.

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority is thrilled to announce that it has secured funding from the Nature Networks programme for its Cysylltu Natur 25x25 project.

This ambitious initiative aims to boost nature recovery across 25% of the northern section of the National Park by 2025. Thanks to a generous grant of £244,450 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, bolstered by an extra £5,000 from the Pembrokeshire Coast Charitable Trust, the project will help connect species-rich habitats to nationally and internationally protected sites, fostering a more resilient environment in which wildlife can flourish.

Part of the Cysylltu Natur 25×25 project involves building upon the Park Authority’s existing work of supporting farmers and smallholders who use traditional farming techniques to conserve nature on their own land and on commons.

A council has become the first in Kent to formally make a Nature Recovery Declaration.

In it, Maidstone council recognises “the catastrophic and ongoing declines impacting the natural world” and made a “solemn commitment to embed positive change across all our interactions with the natural world”.

It comes as butterfly numbers are the lowest on record in the UK.

The Butterfly Conservation said this year’s Big Butterfly Count, which revealed the worst numbers since it began 14 years ago, is “a warning sign to us all”.

The North Sea’s oil and gas rigs impact more than the atmosphere.

Using over than 30 years of data, scientists found the sediment around nine platforms contains levels of pollutants up to thousands of times higher than in the wider seabed. In some samples, toxic chemicals breached thresholds associated with harming the health of marine wildlife.

Top predators and specialists were the worst affected species, whilst generalists came to dominate. This caused species diversity near oil rigs to drop by almost a third as the food chains collapsed.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has launched a survey to gather valuable insights from boaters regarding mooring and anchoring in the Solent.

Boating practices can have a significant impact on the health of marine ecosystems. The Solent Boating Survey seeks to understand and build a clearer picture of how boating can impact the Solent’s vital seagrass meadows.

Charities have come together to explain that the Welsh government needs to significantly increase investment in wildlife-friendly farming to ensure nature restoration and climate targets are met.

RSPB Cymru, National Trust Cymru and The Wildlife Trust Wales are calling on the Welsh government to urgently commit to a long-term annual investment in nature and climate friendly farming, as with the effect of nature and climate crises worsening, any delay to future proofing the agricultural sector will cost more to fix.

The charities say that up to £594 million per year is required and that programmes such as the Sustainable Farming Scheme must help farmers bring back nature and tackle climate change while producing food sustainably and underpinning resilient businesses.

Nearly £6bn needs to be spend on the rural budget in the UK if nature and climate change objectives are to be met according to a new report. The analysis, jointly commissioned by the RSPB, National Trust and The Wildlife Trusts, provides figures on the level of investment needed in land management to achieve nature and climate objectives across the UK.

The analysis shows the annual UK rural budget needs to nearly double to £5.9bn at least for the next ten years.

While the report looks at the UK as a whole, it also estimates the level of investment required in the different UK countries reflecting the variation in natural assets and farming systems. In Scotland the report suggests annual public investment in the region of £1.5bn to 1.8bn a year which would see Scotland more than double farm funding over the next ten years.