The British Government is being urged to “boldly commit” to rewilding 30 per cent of land and seas by 2030, as polling shows high levels of support for the approach.

Charity Rewilding Britain is also urging the new Labour Government to expand nature-based jobs and businesses, boost access to nature for people to benefit health and well-being, empower communities to lead the way with rewilding, and create a “game-changing” shift in rewilding funding and investment.

The call comes on the back of polling of more than 2,200 people by YouGov for Rewilding Britain which suggests that more than 83 per cent of people support rewilding, a slight increase on 81 per cent in polling in 2021.

A project to increase the number of plover birds has been hailed a success.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said chick numbers had increased after efforts by volunteers to keep visitors and dogs away from coastal nests at Snettisham, Norfolk.

The ringed plover, with its black eye mask and distinctive orange and black-tipped bills, were red-listed by the bird charity, after their breeding populations suffered declines of greater than 50%.

Three years ago, 40 pairs of birds fledged 19 chicks, rising to 71 this year after funding from the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk, and nature reserve Wild Ken Hill.

Public outrage over river pollution has been heartening to see. Over the past few years, stories about sewage contamination in rivers have captured public attention, and prompted campaigns and protests, such as the forthcoming River Action UK march for clean water on 26 October in London. It is important to protect our rivers because they are biodiversity hotspots and essential for human health. However, as a freshwater ecologist, I know there is more nuance to the story than you may have been led to believe. From my perspective, there is some good news when it comes to our rivers. I would even say that some rivers in England are in the best state they have been in for hundreds of years.

Many rivers in England are polluted, but we need to recognise that this is not an emerging issue but a much longer-standing one that has been largely ignored by the media and politicians for decades. Much of the recent furore over pollution has to do with increased awareness, rather than a sudden increase in pollution itself. It’s only by understanding how these ecosystems have changed over time and reflecting on previous successes that we can make real progress.

Dolphins gliding across the water of a Hampshire beach have been captured on camera by a stunned passer-by.

Sarah Coulson was walking along the beach at Barton-on-Sea this morning when movement in the sea caught her eye.

A pod of dolphins was spotted swimming in the sunshine.

She immediately stopped to take a video, zooming in to watch the dolphins appear above the surface of the sea, before disappearing again.

From photographs of a majestic kingfisher playing in the rain to a water vole enjoying a salad lunch, the winners of an annual nature photography competition have been revealed.

Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) announced the winners of its 2024 nature photography competition, which saw more than 600 entries.

The photographs beautifully captured various species found in Norfolk with Stuart Merchant's photograph of two emperor dragonflies being declared the overall winner.

Cattle egret birds have nested at a wetland site in West Sussex for the first time.

Three nests, all with hatched, active chicks, have been spotted at WWT Arundel Wetland Centre.

The birds were uncovered by reserve manager Suzi Lanaway after she heard the noise of chicks last week.

The number of rare bats in a Devon town has "plummeted", a bat-observing group has said.

Be Buckfastleigh, a community interest group, said the decline of greater horseshoe bats in the town was "alarming".

Director and resident Pam Barrett has been observing the protected species for about 10 years and said her group would normally expect to see around a thousand bats at this time of year.

However she said earlier this year they had counted "as few as 20" greater horseshoe bats in Buckfastleigh.

A new project that aims to deepen people’s connection to nature and increase awareness of climate change has been awarded £1.1 million from The National Lottery Community Fund.

Over the next five years, and thanks to the support of National Lottery players, River Esk Connect (REConnect) will see schools, community groups, and volunteers take part in learning days and conservation activities including wildlife surveys, invasive species control, river monitoring and hedge laying. The project aims to inspire people to take the lead with environmental activities in their own communities, ensuring the River Esk and surrounding area grows as a nature-rich landscape that is protected for future generations.

REConnect is led by a group of organisations including the North York Moors National Park Authority, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Groundwork, and the Yorkshire Marine Nature Partnership, bringing together experts in climate, ecology and community action.

The Severn Valley Water Management Scheme ‘demonstrator project’ is managed by Shropshire Council through the River Severn Partnership and has its focus on the Rea Brook, which flows into the River Severn in Shrewsbury.

It aims to provide a suite of nature-based flood management schemes that will demonstrate different measures that can both hold back water and also enhance habitat and biodiversity.

A breeding programme is set to boost a critically endangered species.

About 120 young freshwater pearl mussels are being released into a Gwynedd river to help the species.

The mussels were raised at Natural Resources Wales’s (NRW) captive-rearing facility near Brecon.

They will be released into the river following extensive habitat restoration works in 2022.

When you think of rainforests your mind likely jumps to the forests of Borneo or the Amazon. What you may not realise is that there are incredible rainforests right here in Wales. These temperate rainforests create a habitat which is globally rare, and considered to be more threatened than tropical rainforest.