UK Nature and Environment

More than 200 ha of coastal habitat is to be restored in Durham.

The Coastal Grasslands Reconnected Project will focus on an area in the county between Nose's Point, near Seaham, and Horden.

Hedgerows, trees and scrub will be planted as part of a partnership between Durham County Council, Durham Wildlife Trust and the National Trust.

Some of the UK's most endangered birds that have been reared and released on Dartmoor have been tracked to Portugal.

A number of curlew introduced to Devon this summer travelled the 1,300 miles (2,092km) to the Algarve.

"Several individuals travelled around the South West estuaries in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, however, this year some undertook an epic journey south, following the warmer weather," said Jon Avon, curlew recovery project officer from the Duchy of Cornwall.

So, the only submission this time around was a photo of a melting snowman by Hossenfeffer which was fine as cynical humour but, call me po-faced or whatever, I'm pulling the 'Naturey McNatureface' rule on that: it is not banner material for this community for the next three months.

In the absence of any other submissions, I'm submitting three of my own photos in the comments below.

The one with the most upvotes by 10:00pm UTC on Sunday 21st will be our next banner.

The most comprehensive river testing of bathing waters in the UK has shown they contain a cocktail of potentially harmful chemicals and bacteria.

Watershed Investigations used volunteers to test 23 rivers and lakes used for swimming, twice a day, every day for a week.

The Environment Agency tests for two types of bacteria including E.coli but Watershed’s testing also looked for a number of pollutants

More than 1,200 hectares of degraded rainforest habitat are now on the road to recovery thanks to Scottish Government funding.

Almost £5 million has already been invested in rainforest restoration since 2023 and a further £5 million for ongoing restoration efforts was allocated as part of the draft 2025/26 Budget.

Scotland’s rainforest is a type of coastal temperate rainforest which is incredibly rare and as internationally significant as tropical rainforest.

Glasgow and Clyde Valley Green Network (GCV Green Network) have just published their Clyde Wetlands Opportunity Mapping Report identifying locations where the creation, restoration or management of wetlands across the Region will help reverse habitat loss and restore wetland networks.

Wetlands are one of our most threatened ecosystems, with an estimated 75% of UK wetlands lost in the last 300 years. And yet they are increasingly recognised as crucially important as a unique and biodiverse habitat, as well as for ecosystem services such as improving water quality, slowing the flow of water and natural flood management and effective carbon storage.

The Mapping Report will help GCV Green Network and their partners (Wildfowl & Wetland Trust, Edinburgh Napier University, Buglife Scotland, Green Action Trust, & NatureScot) identify Nature Networks and target delivery to greatest effect.

A rare habitat that is home to reptiles and ground-nesting birds in Dorset is to be restored in a two-year, £1.2m project.

Dorset Council is removing hundreds of invasive pine trees from Avon Heath Country Park to help rejuvenate the heathland.

The 210-hectare site is home to all of Britain's native reptile species, including the elusive smooth snake, along with birds including nightjar and woodlark.

Trees, scrub and other invasive species such as Rhododendron will be removed to help reverse the habitat loss.

Public body Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) has applied for a licence to release beavers in Glen Affric in the Highlands.

The glen is a large area of thickly wooded hillsides and glens with a river, streams and lochs south of Inverness. It includes fragments of ancient Caledonian Forest.

Beavers could be released into Loch Beinn a Mheadhoin next spring if Scottish government agency NatureScot grants a licence.

An eminent naturalist has voiced concerns that a TV crew's powerful floodlights could have put birds and red squirrels at risk at two beauty spots on Anglesey. The high-wattage lights were used to film night scenes for a Sky drama series, Under Salt Marsh, which is partly produced on the island.

The six-part series boasts a star-studded cast including Rafe Spall (The English), Kelly Reilly (Yellowstone) and Jonathan Pryce (The Crown). Filming initially took place in Gwynedd but moved to Anglesey in early December, with scenes recorded at Malltraeth and Newborough Forest.

Last Thursday, a lane on the A4080 Cob Malltraeth bridge was closed to accommodate two trucks carrying generators and crane-hoisted floodlights. Film location managers explained that the aim was to "cast light across the estuary" to "imitate moonlight", with more lights set up half-a-mile along Malltraeth estuary.

An environmental charity has submitted plans to install bio-receptive tiles in an estuary to rebuild habitats for coastal wildlife.

Groundwork North East & Cumbria (GNEC) want to build 95 bio-receptive tiles and six artificial rock pools on the disused slipway at Whitehall Landing, in Whitby, near the A171.

It is hoped the plans would help to attract new species and improve diversity of species such as water voles, kingfishers and freshwater pearl mussels.

Environment organisations in the North West have been building a raft of hope for one of the UK’s beloved bird species – the common tern.

Natural England, alongside partners including Environment Agency, Fylde Bird Club, Lancaster University, RSPB, Lancaster & District Birdwatchers Society and Lune Rivers Trust have been working hard to do a good ‘tern’ for these delightful silvery-grey and white birds which are affectionally known as the ‘sea-swallow.’

Just outside of Lancaster and Morecambe in the Lune Estuary, breeding pairs of common terns were once a regular sight but lost habitat, disturbance, lack of food and increased threats from predators caused the colony of several hundred pairs to disappear in 2008. To encourage their return, they needed a helping hand.

Rapid action against an invasive bee-killing hornet has stopped its spread in the UK despite suitable climate and habitat for the insect, a study has found.

Research led by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) looked at how suitable European countries were for the yellow-legged or Asian hornet to become established, and how they might have spread without action.

The non-native Asian hornet, which arrived in France in a cargo of pottery from China about 20 years ago and has spread rapidly across the continent, can kill 50 bees a day and has devastated honeybee colonies in France and Italy, experts said.

Environmental campaigners including celebrity wildlife champion Chris Packham have urged the government to abandon its plans to build on the green belt

The Community Planning Alliance (CPA), which represents grassroots action groups across the UK, has published a report setting out an alternative vision of housebuilding.

It comes after prime minister Keir Starmer last week recommitted to Labour’s election manifesto pledge of building 1.5 million homes this parliament.

Later today the government will spell out its much-trailed reforms designed to achieve this aim. These include asking councils to earmark sites for housing within the so-called ‘grey belt’ – less useful or environmentally friendly sections of urban development buffers.

A pioneering project in Scotland is celebrating a 2,000 hectare milestone for the benefit of Corncrakes, a rare and elusive bird that is threatened across the UK. Helping to build a brighter future for the special bird, the Corncrake Calling project has been bringing together farmers and crofters, local communities and conservationists in an effort to reverse the species’ decline.

Led by RSPB Scotland and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the four-year Corncrake Calling project has delivered essential conservation work to help Corncrakes and other wildlife, while bolstering the unique culture of rural Scottish communities.

Once widespread across the UK, Corncrake populations have fallen dramatically. As a red listed species, in Scotland they are now found only on some islands and parts of the north-west coast, while Rathlin Island is the last known breeding area for Corncrake in Northern Ireland. While changes in farming methods over time have meant that much of their UK-wide breeding habitat has been lost, farmers, crofters and landowners are now working alongside conservationists as part of the Corncrake Calling project to help make a difference for the species.

Nearly half of the nature-friendly enhancements promised by developers building new homes have failed to materialise, according to a study of almost 6,000 new houses.

Developers are failing to keep legally binding pledges to boost wildlife when building new homes, according to the survey by University of Sheffield academics for Wild Justice.

When researchers visited 42 completed housing estates in England to check if ecological enhancements including newly planted trees, bird boxes, ponds and hedgerows had been provided as stipulated by planning permissions, they found just 53% had been delivered.

Today, the UK Government has published a new assessment of the threats facing UK Food Security – see UK Food Security Report 2024 - Official statistics announcement - GOV.UK. The report states that:

“Long term decline in the UK’s natural capital is a pressing risk to UK food production,” and, “Climate change, nature loss and water insecurity pose significant risks to the ability of global food production to meet demand over the longer term.”

This means that the restoration of nature – including natural habitats, ecosystems, rivers, uplands, peatlands soils and much, much more – is critical to feed ourselves in the future.

Imagine you’re walking across rolling hills that stretch for miles, with warm sunshine and the chirping of birds all around.

This peaceful and serene scene is an increasingly rare one in the modern world.

Our natural soundscapes are falling silent as bird populations decline. Humans are interacting less with nature, in what is sometimes referred to as an “extinction of experience”. This has been linked to deteriorating public health and wellbeing.

Researchers have begun studying the environmental impacts of Star Wars location shooting in a Gloucestershire woodland.

Puzzlewood, in the Forest of Dean, was an important filming location for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, just over a decade ago.

The Open University's Environmental Impact of Filming project, external is asking for the experiences, both positive and negative, of those who lived and worked around the area at the time.

The project aims to help studios and filmmakers to adopt more eco-friendly production practices.

Grouse shooting has long been touted as a traditional English pastime, but behind the veneer of heritage lies a deeply troubling reality. Every year, tens of thousands of red grouse are shot across England's moorlands to satisfy a niche, profit-driven ‘sport’. This practice comes at a devastating cost to wildlife, ecosystems, and the broader environment. It’s time to expose the darker side of this industry and advocate for change.

The season ends today – 10 December – but each year, on the infamous “Glorious Twelfth” of August, the slaughter begins again as estates across England host events where thousands of grouse are shot. Data compiled by the League suggests more than 600,000 red grouse are killed annually. Grouse populations are artificially inflated by intensive moorland management practices, including the systematic eradication of natural predators like foxes, stoats, and birds of prey. This is achieved through cruel methods such as snaring and trapping, which indiscriminately kill both target and non-target species.

The traps used are shockingly brutal. Snares, for example, are thin wire loops designed to immobilise animals, leading to a slow and agonising death. Non-target species, including badgers, hares, and domestic pets, often fall victim to these devices. This industrial-scale persecution of wildlife has no place in modern society.

We could be feasting on delicious Christmas fare over the festive season at a time when food and shelter for our wildlife is scarce and a few gifts for our garden creatures could mean the difference between life and death.

“During the cold months, gardeners can significantly impact the survival of various species by offering food, water, and shelter,” says Helen Bostock, RHS senior wildlife specialist.

Making bird food cookies, shelters for insects and other small but vital gifts should make life easier for our garden visitors through the winter. Experts offer the following guides.

Many of England’s birds, butterflies, bats and protected areas have seen their fortunes decline in recent years, an official government assessment shows.

The annual “biodiversity indicators” monitoring the state of nature in England including habitats, species, land management and protected sites, paint a bleak picture in many areas.

Of 29 indicators assessed for the changes seen over the long term, 12 show an improvement, six have had little or no overall change and 11 measures show a deterioration.

Proposals for a new law which could see the bosses of major polluters jailed for up to 20 years has received enough support from MSPs to be introduced at Holyrood next year.

Monica Lennon's proposed Ecocide Prevention Bill has the backing of enough cross-party members to be brought forward and the Scottish government has indicated that it will not intervene to stop it.

This would clear the way for the bill to be formally introduced in the Scottish Parliament next year.

Our seas are under pressure like never before; decades of over exploitation, pollution and unchecked development have resulted in continued biodiversity loss and the degradation of marine habitats.

But there is a way to help bring our seas back to life!

Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) are a new type of marine designation designed to allow marine life to recover. By giving special areas the best possible protection, they’ll benefit nature, people and the climate, too.

Thanks to the campaigning of The Wildlife Trusts and over 17,000 of our amazing supporters, the first three HPMAs have now been designated in English waters.

The first of thousands of trees to be established in communities across central and southern Scotland through an innovative partnership between The Tree Council and SP Energy Networks have been planted during National Tree Week.

The partnership, announced earlier this year, kicked off with a volunteer planting day at Fernieside Recreation Ground in Edinburgh hosted by The Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust (ELGT), a charity dedicated to enhancing greenspaces across Edinburgh and the Lothians, for the benefit of people, wildlife, landscape, and heritage.

Sara Lom, The Tree Council CEO, said: “We are thrilled to partner with SP Energy Networks to do something truly wonderful for nature and for local communities.

The WWT, the charity for wetlands and wildlife, has announced that it has agreed the purchase of low-lying land on the Awre peninsula for a pioneering saltmarsh restoration project.

Plans to create a new saltmarsh nature reserve across the Severn from Slimbridge Wetland Centre is a step closer as the purchase of 148 hectares of farmland has been agreed. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) has today (Tuesday, December 10) announced that it has agreed the purchase of low-lying land on the Awre peninsula for a pioneering saltmarsh restoration project.

As part of the organisation’s mission to restore wetlands and unlock their power, they plan to create a new saltmarsh nature reserve in the Forest of Dean, emulating the success of their flagship saltmarsh restoration site in Somerset, WWT Steart Marshes. As well as being a haven for wildlife and a nature reserve for the local community, it will act as a hub for new research studying the superpowers of saltmarshes to store carbon, boost biodiversity and improve flood resilience.