Experience and expertise advising Natural England’s Board:  Natural England’s Landscape Advisory Panel after three and a half years. 

Posted by: and , Posted on: - Categories: Green Infrastructure, Landscape, Landscapes and access, Natural England
Landscape Advisory Panel members, with Natural England staff, during their July 2025 meeting, in Winchester

By Co-Chairs Dame Caroline Spelman and Sarah Mukherjee MBE. Together, we have the pleasure of Co-Chairing Natural England’s Landscape Advisory Panel (NELAP), Sarah as our external Co-Chair, drawing upon her long experience, including as a Member of Julian Glover’s Landscapes …

Nature Returns: 4 years on

Posted by: and , Posted on: - Categories: Natural England, Nature, Nature Returns, Nature-based solutions

Nature Returns is a flagship programme led by Natural England, which is delivering practical solutions for nature and climate and building robust scientific evidence to support policy and investment decisions. Nature-based solutions address problems in ways that benefit both people and …

New Weed Control Handbook Published: A Smarter, Greener Approach to Vegetation Management

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Landscape, Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery, Weed Control
Himalayan balsam on a field edge. Natural England

By Patrick Shannon-Hughes, Environmental Quality for Nature Senior Officer (Agri Chemicals) We’re pleased to release the updated Weed Control Handbook: Guidance for Herbicide Use on Nature Conservation Sites - a long-awaited refresh of the 2002 Herbicide Handbook. This new edition …

Natural England’s response to Defra’s consultation on heather and grass burning

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Evidence, Natural England, Nature, Peat, Wildlife
Moor House - Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve. Copyright: Dave Glaves

By John Holmes, Director of Strategy On 5 September, Defra announced strengthened legislation on burning on peat.  The new legislation came into force this week, with the new burning season commencing on Wednesday.  We welcome the strengthened legislation which will …

Nature Recovery Projects – next steps for growing collaborative action that drives nature recovery

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery, Nature Recovery Network, Wildlife

Acting for nature recovery at scale Defra and Natural England invested £7.4 million to initiate twelve landscape-scale Nature Recovery Projects (NRPs) across the country, over the three years of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2022/23-2024/25. Covering over 319,480ha, these projects were …

Numbers of nesting hen harriers in England have risen slightly in 2025

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Hen Harriers, Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery, Species recovery
A hen harrier nest with chicks

By Matthew Heard, National Delivery Director Numbers of nesting hen harriers in England have risen slightly this year, according to data collected by Natural England and partners. Breeding figures and regional breakdown In 2025, Natural England and partners recorded a …

Celebrating five years of the People and Nature Surveys: What we’ve learned about England’s love for the outdoors 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Connecting People with Nature, Countryside Code, Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England, Nature, Parks, trails and nature reserves

By Sheldon Allen, Project Manager, Natural England’s People and Nature Survey Team  Nature and happiness – what's the connection?  What makes you feel happy? For most people in England, it’s time spent outdoors. Our People and Nature Survey for England (PaNS) …

Wildfires: Nature’s role in resisting the spark

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Countryside Code, Landscape, Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery, Wildfire
Fire stops at a wet gully edge in Dove Stone 2018. Credit: Jon Bird (RSPB)

Updated (3 October 2025) By Sallie Bailey, Natural England’s Chief Scientist This year we have witnessed wildfires ravaging England’s uplands and heaths on a historic scale, with prolonged hot and dry weather providing the ideal conditions for blazes lasting weeks. …

Natural England Hen Harrier Programme - Update to Southern Reintroduction Project

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Hen Harriers
Female hen harrier incubating eggs

By Sofía Muñoz, Senior Officer, Hen Harrier Southern Reintroduction Background The Hen Harrier Southern Reintroduction Project was set up in 2018 with the aim of establishing a wild, farmland-nesting population of hen harriers (Circus cyaneus) in southern England.  The hen …

Collaborative monitoring helps confirm positive impact of nature-friendly farming for butterflies 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Evidence, Monitoring, Natural England, Nature, Science and evidence, Species recovery, Wildlife

By Susanna Phillips, Principal Officer – Chief Scientist Directorate, Natural England  Research published recently in the Journal of Applied Ecology highlighted the positive impact that agri-environment schemes can have on butterflies. Agri-environment schemes are a key environmental policy mechanism in …