Biodiversity

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 …

With a lot of help from our friends: assembling an England Peat Map

Posted by: and , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Mapping, Natural England, Nature Recovery, Peat, Species recovery

Contributors: Andrew Webb, Principal advisor, England Peat Map. Tom Hunt, Data engagement lead, England Peat Map. Sarah Parrott, Engagement and impact lead advisor, NCEA. Elizabeth Mitchell, Engagement and impact senior advisor, NCEA   How do you make a map of something that’s largely underground, …

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 …

Holme Fen National Nature Reserve peatland restoration project

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Climate change, National Nature Reserve, Nature Recovery, Peat

By Catherine Weightman, Natural England’s Senior Project Manager for Peatland Restoration in the Fens - West Anglia Team   I’ve been working for Natural England and its predecessors for more than twenty years. I’m currently working on peatland restoration in the …

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 …

National Nature Reserves – for inspiration and celebration!

Golitha Falls National Nature Reserve

By Mike Downey, Principal Officer for National Nature Reserves This week is a really exciting week in the calendar for England’s National Nature Reserves (NNRs). Monday 20th May marked the start of National Nature Reserves Week 2024, an annual celebration …

A new interactive website for our National Character Area profiles

NCA 36: Southern Pennines – Stoodley Pike

By Sally Marshall, Principal Landscape Adviser, Natural England Today (14 May 2024) we are excited to be launching a new interactive website for England’s National Character Areas (NCAs). This latest chapter in the long history of NCAs makes the valued …