Natural England

Protected Site Strategies – Problems Shared

David Burton, 16 June 2025 - Biodiversity, Landscape, Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery, Protected sites and species, Site of Special Scientific Interest, Species recovery, Wildlife

By David Burton, Principal Officer, Protected Site Strategies “Whatever lies on the horizon, these reserves might just offer a simple vision of how good things could be.” Professor John Wedgwood Clarke, Wild Westcountry Odyssey 2025 So reflected academic and poet …

Ringing in nature's return: Derby celebrates swift migration with 'Bells for Birds' initiative

Jo Birch, 13 June 2025 - Biodiversity, Connecting People with Nature, Education, Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery, Species recovery, Wildlife

By Jo Birch, Senior Officer, Inclusion & Connecting People with Nature, East Midlands Area Team The joyous sound of church bells rings out across Derby, not to mark the hour or call the congregation to worship, but to celebrate a …

Getting water wise – Shared Standards in Water Efficiency for Local Plans in East Anglia

Dr Louise Bardsley, 12 June 2025 - Biodiversity, Development, Growth, Natural England, Site of Special Scientific Interest, Species recovery

By Dr. Louise Bardsley, Principal Adviser Strategic Solutions, Natural England The East of England is the fastest growing region in England. It’s also the driest. Communities, businesses, farming and nature all need enough water to thrive. But without a fundamental …

Nature for Health: Greening Healthcare Sites for People and Wildlife

Lucy Prescott, 11 June 2025 - Connecting People with Nature, Development, Green Infrastructure, Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery Network, Wildlife

By Lucy Prescott, Health and Nature Senior Officer Restoring nature goes beyond protecting wildlife and increasing biodiversity. It is also about rebuilding everyday connections between people and the natural world. To achieve this, we must broaden our partnerships and engage …

Farming and flooding: how agriculture is working alongside nature to slow the flow in North Yorkshire

Natural England, 30 May 2025 - Biodiversity, Climate change, Farming, Flood Management, Natural England, Nature-based solutions, Peat

By Emma Stallworthy, Project Officer for Natural England, explains her role in Ousewem Using nature-based solutions to benefit both agriculture and wildlife while reducing flood risk is the aim of an innovative project in North Yorkshire. Ousewem is a local …

The power of DNA: using innovation for nature’s recovery

Natural England, 29 May 2025 - Biodiversity, Evidence, Monitoring, Nature, Nature Recovery, Protected sites and species, Science and evidence, Species recovery

By Andrew Nisbet, Natural England's Deputy Director for Monitoring Natural England is at the forefront of introducing innovative technologies into biodiversity monitoring. Environmental DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the DNA that can be obtained from an environmental sample such as water, …

We're better together - the Bollin to Mersey Nature Recovery Partnership

Hilary Wood, 27 May 2025 - Biodiversity, Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery, Nature Recovery Network, Wildlife

What is the Bollin to Mersey Nature Recovery Partnership? It seems at first glance that the contrast between the Southern part of Greater Manchester and the Northern part of its neighbouring county Cheshire, is massive. Urban versus rural, grey rather …

Celebrating 60 Years of the Pennine Way: A Legacy of Access, Nature, and Inspiration

David Drake, 26 May 2025 - Connecting People with Nature, Landscapes, Landscapes and access, Mapping, Natural England, Nature, Parks, trails and nature reserves, Wildlife

By David Drake, Director for People and Nature, Natural England On 24 April 2025, I had the privilege of joining a remarkable celebration - the 60th anniversary of the Pennine Way. As Britain’s first National Trail, the Pennine Way remains …

Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve & Kew Millennium Seed Bank: Sowing Seeds for Nature’s Recovery

Mick Venters, 22 May 2025 - Biodiversity, Connecting People with Nature, Education, Mental health and wellbeing, National Nature Reserve, Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery, Parks, trails and nature reserves, Science and evidence, Species recovery, Tree Planting, Wildlife

By Mick Venters, Senior Reserve Manager at Aston Rowant NNR, Natural England. Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve (NNR) is a hidden gem in the Chiltern Hills, and I am fortunate to have spent over twenty years as the Reserve Manager …

Wildlife licensing: enabling development while protecting Nature - annual summary 2024 

Natural England, 21 May 2025 - Biodiversity, Development, Evidence, Licensing, Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery, Protected sites and species, Species recovery, Wildlife

By Gemma Ole's, Deputy Director, Natural England Wildlife Licensing Service At Natural England we help balance economic growth with nature protection. Wildlife licensing is a vital tool to enable this. Our licences are broad ranging and allow development and other …

Blog Natural England