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Natural England

Testing the Miyawaki Method in Our Urban Greenspaces

A project officer stands within the patch of newly planted trees

By Louise Butfoy, Trees Outside Woodland Project Officer, Kent Country Council As a Project Officer at Kent County Council, I’ve been working on the Trees Outside Woodlands project since its inception in October 2020. The project is funded by HM …

Green Infrastructure: delivering quality of life and environmental benefits for communities

Image shows a lush green canal/waterway running through the centre of a neighbourhood. Red bricked houses stand either side of the new development estate. Lots of trees and bushes grow beside it.

David Drake, Director, People & Nature at Natural England In January 2023, Natural England launched the Green Infrastructure (GI) Framework to support the creation of good quality Green Infrastructure which maximises benefits for people and nature. GI helps local authorities, …

Thriving Together: Nature and Community

Image shows Earnse Bay, a bright blue sky hangs overhead, with wispy clouds stretching into the distance. A brown sandy shore can be seen for miles. A group of people are stood in the distance, exploring the sand and dunes.

Image: Natural England At the edge of Barrow-in-Furness, on the north-west coast of England, lies the island of Walney. A wild and windy landscape, it features some nationally rare and important habitats. It is linked to the much larger Morecambe …

Clarifying the Facts: Tagging of hedgehogs and licensing requirements

Image shows a hedgehog amongst some dry leaves and green ivy

There has been some misinformation on social media recently regarding the tagging of hedgehogs to enable identification of individuals. This blog post from Natural England aims to set the record straight and provide clarity on this important issue. Background Marking …

The Magic of Heathland Summers: Nightjars, Nature Recovery, and the Future of our Landscapes

Image shows a nightjar bird, crouching low upon a wooden log. There are lots of grasses and other brown plant life behind it.

Victoria Hawkins, Heathland Connections Nature Recovery Project Senior Advisor, Natural England. Heathland Connections is an inspiring Nature Recovery Project and I feel fortunate to spend the best part of my day working on it. In this post, I want to …

BNG lessons learned with Local Planning Authorities

Image shows a few newly built houses at a development site in Thakeham. A pond is at the forefront of the image with green grassy land around it and lots of vegetation, allowing for nature to thrive. A beautiful clear blue sky hangs overhead.

By Ruth Andreyeva, Director of Land, Water and Seas strategy Biodiversity net gain (BNG) became mandatory in England earlier in 2024, after many years of collaboration across industry and the public sector. We celebrate this milestone wholeheartedly, but we’re not …

Biodiversity Net Gain: guest insights on planning BNG for small sites

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity Net Gain, Biodiversity Net Gain – Hints and Tips
Flowers and grasses at the Met Office Data Centre, Exeter.

Welcome to our Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) guest blog, featuring industry experts sharing their top tips. They are: Julia Baker, Technical Director, Nature Services, Mott MacDonald Isabelle Carter, Regional Director and Landscape Architect, Stride Treglown Emma Toovey, Chief Ecology Officer, …

Building Partnerships for Nature’s Recovery in the North

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Climate change, Natural England, Nature Recovery Network
Image shows David Renwick – Regional Director, North for Natural England stood at the front of a conference hall, speaking at a podium. There are empty yellow chairs to his left and a large projector screen displaying a presentation above him.

By David Renwick, Regional Director for the North at Natural England Last week saw a momentous week for nature across the north with the second annual Nature North conference in Newcastle and the Convention of the North in Leeds. As …

Securing off-site Biodiversity Net Gain: Expert legal perspectives

Sun setting over a biodiverse field, with trees in the background and flora in the foreground

In our third Natural England instructional Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) guest blog, legal professionals offer helpful insights into securing off-site Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). Our guest bloggers are: Penny Simpson, Partner at Freeths Grace Pinault, Associate at Dentons David Short, …