Nature Returns is a flagship programme led by Natural England, which is delivering practical solutions for nature and climate and building robust scientific evidence to support policy and investment decisions. Nature-based solutions address problems in ways that benefit both people and …
By Helen Kirkby, NE Deputy Director for Cumbria Last night in Brisbane, the Cumbrian River Restoration Partnership Programme didn't win the Thiess International Riverprize, but reaching the final alongside projects from Chicago, Albania and the western USA represents something extraordinary …
By Stuart Otway, Principal Officer in Natural England’s Complex Cases Team and Delphine Pouget, Principal Officer in Natural England’s Species Recovery & Reintroductions Team In February 2025 Defra published its landmark policy on the wild release and management of beavers …
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 …
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 …
Weighing as much as two teaspoons of sugar, with a round body and a ‘sooty black cap’ on their heads, willow tits are some of the sweetest looking birds in the country. But they are in danger – the willow …
By Stuart Otway, Principal Officer in Natural England’s Complex Cases Unit and Delphine Pouget, Principal Officer in Natural England’s Species Recovery & Reintroductions Team After centuries of absence, beavers are beginning to reclaim their rightful place in the English landscape. …
As climate change brings more frequent and severe flooding, innovative solutions are emerging to tackle these challenges. Working with nature, not against it, Natural England is proposing schemes to help tackle flooding in Norfolk and Suffolk. Projects in our region …
Keynote speech by Tony Juniper CBE, Chair of Natural England, at Nature Returns conference, 6 February 2025 It is an absolute pleasure to be here today and to see this latest journey in what has been a decades-long process of …
By Tony Juniper CBE, Chair of Natural England As the country seeks long-term solutions to our most pressing problems – how to build much-needed homes and infrastructure, safeguard food production and halt and reverse the decline of Nature – we …