Natural England

Natural England’s role in licensing to control badgers to prevent the spread of bovine Tuberculosis

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Farming, Licensing, Natural England, Science and evidence, Wildlife, wildlife and farming

Current government policy is to enable culling or vaccination of badgers to control bovine Tuberculosis (bTB). The Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs has today (30 August) announced a refresh of the strategy for control of bovine …

Reflecting on the first six months of BNG

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Biodiversity Net Gain, Biodiversity Net Gain – Hints and Tips, Environment Act, Environmental Improvement Plan, Natural Capital, Natural England, Nature-based solutions
A development at Woodhurst Park, Bracknell, Berkshire, that has incorporated BNG on-site. (Image courtesy of Berkeley Group)

By Chris Kaighin – Deputy Director, Biodiversity Net Gain Services It has been six months since the world-leading initiative Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) became mandatory for most planning applications under the Town and Country Planning Act. BNG makes sure development …

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

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Climate change, Connecting People with Nature, Development, Environmental Improvement Plan, Green Infrastructure, Mapping, Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England, Nature Recovery, Nature Recovery Network
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

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Coast and access, Connecting People with Nature, Education, Mental health and wellbeing, National Nature Reserve, Natural England, Nature Recovery, Parks, trails and nature reserves, Protected sites and species, Uncategorized, Wildlife
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 …

Introducing Natural England’s Science Advisory Committee

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Natural England, Nature Recovery, Science and evidence

Prof Sallie Bailey, Chief Scientist I am excited to have started my role as Chief Scientist and recently attended my first meeting of Natural England’s Science Advisory Committee (NESAC). NESAC is a formal committee of Natural England’s Board, who are …

Clarifying the Facts: Tagging of hedgehogs and licensing requirements

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Licensing, Monitoring, Natural England, Nature Recovery, Protected sites and species, Science and evidence, Species recovery, Uncategorized, Wildlife
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

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Connecting People with Nature, Landscapes, Landscapes and access, National Nature Reserve, Natural England, Nature Recovery, Nature Recovery Network, Parks, trails and nature reserves, Protected sites and species, Species recovery, Wildlife
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 …

National conversation needed on how to turbo-charge Nature recovery while building the homes the country needs

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity Net Gain, Development, Environment Act, Environmental Improvement Plan, Green Infrastructure, Natural England, Nature-based solutions, Nutrient Neutrality
Birds flying over a wetland

England doesn’t have enough houses, and also doesn’t have enough Nature. If we are to succeed in meeting our national needs, we require more of both. For too long we’ve been told that the only way to build more homes …