Science and evidence

Celebrating Green Infrastructure Progress: Major Mapping Database Update Launched

Screenshot showing the urban habitat mapping.

By Martin Moss, Senior Officer - Green Infrastructure Mapping Team As recognition grows of the importance of nature to our health and wellbeing, understanding green infrastructure provision is vital to ensuring everyone can benefit from nature wherever they live. Natural …

More than the sum of our parts: professionals and citizen scientists working together to transform evidence collection

We’re in the middle of a step change for national-scale environmental evidence in England. In recent years, the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) programme has allowed us to create and upgrade maps and data products like the England Peat …

A Landmark Year for England’s Fungi

From international pledges to pioneering reintroduction projects, it’s been an exciting year for England’s fungi. Natural England Mycologist, Matt Wainhouse, reflects on remarkable year for fungal conservation. Fungi on the global agenda Fungi have often missed out in the global …

Collaborative monitoring helps confirm positive impact of nature-friendly farming for butterflies 

By Susanna Phillips, Principal Officer – Chief Scientist Directorate, Natural England  Research published recently in the Journal of Applied Ecology highlighted the positive impact that agri-environment schemes can have on butterflies. Agri-environment schemes are a key environmental policy mechanism in …

How to save 1000 species from extinction?

Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus) credit Simon Curson

By Tim Wilkins, Principal Specialist in Species Recovery When a legally-binding target to reduce species extinction risk in England was set by government in 2023: The Environmental Targets (Biodiversity) (England) Regulations 2023, this question – How to save a 1000 …

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 …

The power of DNA: using innovation for nature’s recovery

A Natural England adviser taking a water sample from a pond to monitor DNA

By Andrew Nisbet, Natural England's Deputy Director for Monitoring Natural England is at the forefront of introducing innovative technologies into biodiversity monitoring. Environmental DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the DNA that can be obtained from an environmental sample such as water, …

Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve & Kew Millennium Seed Bank: Sowing Seeds for Nature’s Recovery

A special event at Aston Rowant NNR with local grassroots walking group. © Nicola Schafer.

By Mick Venters, Senior Reserve Manager at Aston Rowant NNR, Natural England. Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve (NNR) is a hidden gem in the Chiltern Hills, and I am fortunate to have spent over twenty years as the Reserve Manager …

A new peat map for England 

By Dr Ruth Waters, Director for Evidence, Natural England, and David Jones, Senior Responsible Officer for the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment, Defra England’s peat deposits are one of our most valuable national assets. They’re our largest carbon store, they …