Natural England

The Species Recovery Programme Capital Grant Scheme – a Natural England partnership success story

Pearl-bordered fritillary, credit: Devon Wildlife Trust

By James Phillips - Principal Officer – Species Recovery and Species Re-introductions and Karen Shelley-Jones - Senior Officer – Funding and Grant Scheme Management England’s species charm, intrigue, amaze and inspire us, sparking interest and concern in the natural world.  …

24 hour 'bioblitz' at one of England's newest National Nature Reserves

By Karen Faux - Local Nature Recovery Senior at Natural England In July, over 50 Natural England staff and partners came together for a 24 hour species recording event (or ‘bioblitz’) on the recently declared North Kent Woods and Downs …

Happy holidays for you and your dog

A man sits on an outdoor picnic table seat, facing the camera and smiling. His dog sits on the table top, next to him, also looking at the camera. In the background there are green hills, and cloudy sky.

By Steve Jenkinson, Access and Countryside Advisor to the Kennel Club I travel all over England with my dog Teal, working for the Kennel Club and Natural England to make great places for people and nature – and that includes …

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 …

Crayfish clawing their way back in Nottinghamshire: A conservation success story in the making

Bare hand holding a crayfish above a blue bucket.

By Danielle Greaves, Higher Officer - Species Reintroduction and Recovery, Natural England Hidden beneath the surface of Nottinghamshire's rivers and streams lives an increasingly rare species – the white-clawed crayfish. As the UK's only native freshwater crayfish, these creatures play …

Unearthing the Past to Restore Our Future: The Role of Palaeontology in Nature Recovery

By Joshua Smith, NE Senior Specialist Palaeontologist Fossils represent evidence of past life stored in the sequence of rocks below our feet. Like the pages of a book, England's rock record tells the story of changing continents, climates and environments …

Nature Towns and Cities Programme: Transforming Urban Landscapes for People and Planet 

Two children, one boy and one girl, wearing gardening gloves and reaching into a garden bed with interest.

By Oliver Harmar, Chief Strategy Officer Creating a Legacy of Thriving Urban Nature  With today’s start of the Nature Towns and Cities programme, I'm filled with optimism.  This isn’t just another initiative, it’s a game-changer for how we think about nature …

Unlocking Nature for All

A group photo in a field. Some people are standing, others are seated in a variety of mobility aids and all terrain vehicles. All are smiling.

By Val Woods, Centre for Outdoor Accessibility Training (COAT) Lead Officer, Natural England I consider myself fortunate to be working on a fantastic project which is based at the beautiful Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve (NNR). I manage the Centre …

Supporting Wellbeing and Nature’s Recovery – learning from the 7th Nature Connections Conference

Image of Electric Daisy, an outdoor events space with a covered canopy and lots of plants around the seating.

Human health and nature are deeply interconnected.  However, many people do not feel a strong connection to nature in their day-to-day lives. Strengthening our connection to nature can address shared challenges such as health and wellbeing, drive nature’s recovery and …

Protected Site Strategies – Problems Shared

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 …