Farming

Growing trees and farming together for nature recovery – new agroforestry principles launched

Veteran cherry trees, Alfrick, Worcestershire. Credit: Geoff Newman

By Alisa Swanson, Natural England Agroforestry — the practice of combining trees with farming — is gaining renewed momentum as a practical way to increase tree cover and restore nature without sacrificing productive land. This post explores how Natural England …

Landscape Recovery and growth: building the foundations for critical nature infrastructure 

Ock-and-Thames-Landscape-Recovery-Project.-Credit-Freshwater-Habitats-Trust.jpg

By Chris Davis, Natural England’s Deputy Director for Landscape Recovery and Schemes Development At a time when the UK is facing serious environmental challenges such as climate change and loss of wildlife, restoring and protecting our natural capital is one …

How Natural England Are Working in Partnership to Help Farmers Save Crops, Wildlife, Habitat, and Lives

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Farming, Forestry Commission, Natural England, Nature, wildlife and farming
Chelsey holds up rainwater harvesting tank stickers provided by NFU.

By Stacey Branson, Farmer & Natural England Catchment Sensitive Farming Adviser I was in the main farmyard when we got the phone call about the fire. I walked out the farm gate to see flames racing across the neighbour’s wheat …

Designing and Delivering Woody Habitats to aid Nature Recovery: Six Principles for Success.

Principle 3 – go native: Land art displaying 14 different native trees and scrub species. Credit: Alisa Swanson

By Alisa Swanson, Natural England Creating new woody habitats, whether woodlands, scrub, wood pasture, wooded meadows or wet woodlands, can play a vital role in reversing biodiversity loss and building climate resilience across England’s landscapes. Natural England’s ambition is to …

Nurturing Cumbria's Hidden Gem: East of Eden Nature Recovery Project

By Katharine Milnes, East of Eden Nature Recovery Project Senior Advisor A Landscape of Contrasts Venture east of the M6, away from Cumbria's famous Lake District mountains, and you'll discover Cumbria's own Eden. Here, the wide, fertile valley of the …

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

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 …

Growing more than food: The benefits of nature-friendly farming

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Farming, Natural England, wildlife and farming
Cows on Upwood Meadows Nature Reserve, Cambridgeshire

By Martin Lines, CEO, Nature Friendly Farming Network, andPeter Craven, Head of Agriculture, Natural England This week is Nature Friendly Farming Week, and with a theme of 'More than growing food' it aims to highlight the wider benefits of nature-friendly …

Two more years: extending ambitions for Nature recovery

Tony walks with King Charles along a path in the Lincolnshire NNR. It's a beautiful sunny day, the King wears a light beige coloured suit. Tony has a blue shirt - he carries a pair of binoculars in his hand.

By Tony Juniper CBE, Chair of Natural England I was delighted to be invited to serve a third term as Chair of Natural England and look forward to continuing to lead the organisation as it adopts and implements a new …

Using our evidence to plan our approach to the management of Dartmoor's SSSIs

A view across Dartmoor with a large rocky formation in the foreground

Today we have published a Review of the evidence for the management of Dartmoor’s Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). As an evidence-led organisation, we use this to inform our advice to farmers and stakeholders on Dartmoor. Our job is …

Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier: Supporting farmers and land managers to deliver nature friendly farming

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Farming, Natural England
A landscape view with flowers in the foreground, a group of cows in the middle distance, and a hill with a wooded area in the distance.

By Peter Craven, Head of Agriculture  At Natural England, we know that farming and nature can thrive together, and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) is here to help make that happen. Whether you're already working towards a more sustainable farm or …