Species recovery

Supporting the return of white‑tailed eagles to Exmoor

White-tailed eagles hunting as a pair. Credit: Ainsley Bennett

By Roxanne Gardiner, Senior Officer, Natural England Wildlife Licensing Service and Olivia Beatty, Higher Officer, Wessex Area Team Natural England has issued a licence enabling the next phase of white-tailed eagle reintroductions in southern England, permitting the release of up …

White stork, black stork and other vagrant bird species

Posted by: and , Posted on: - Categories: Birds, Natural England, Nature, Species re-introductions, Species recovery
A white stork released in Devon, 2025. Credit: Richie Moore

By Jeremy Sabel and Matt Heydon Natural England’s Species Recovery & Reintroductions Team Projects involving the release of white stork Ciconia ciconia capture the public imagination. If fairy tales are to be believed, white storks bring good luck and deliver …

England Red Squirrel Recovery Strategy

Red squirrel on a branch. Credit: Gary Bruce

By Katherine Walsh – Senior Environmental Specialist for terrestrial mammals within the Chief Scientist Directorate at Natural England England's red squirrel is one of our most beloved native species, yet it has quietly disappeared from most of the country over …

The First Five‑Year Evaluations of Strategic Licensing for Great Crested Newts

Close-up of a male great crested newt (Triturus cristatus)

The first ever five-year evaluations of strategic licensing for great crested newts have just been published. This blog, written with NatureSpace Partnership, explores the successes so far and shows that the schemes are creating high‑quality habitat for great crested newts, …

Beaver Update: Two new licensed wild release projects, more to follow!

image of beaver on grass

By Stuart Otway – Principal Officer, Complex Licensing; Delphine Pouget - Principal Officer, Species Recovery & Reintroductions; Giles Wagstaff - Senior Officer, Complex Licensing; Amy Radford – Senior Officer, Species Recovery & Reintroductions Two newly licensed beaver projects will very …

A new mapping tool to support beaver reintroductions and dispersal across England

Posted by: and , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Science and evidence, Species re-introductions, Species recovery
A Eurasian Beaver in water

By Heather White - Senior Data Scientist and Daveron Smith - Principal Data Scientist In this blog, we launch the Beaver Considerations Assessment Toolkit (BCAT), a new mapping tool that has been developed by Natural England (NE), in collaboration with …

Species Recovery Programme - Call for Ideas Opportunity

By Karen Shelley-Jones - Senior Officer – Funding and Grant Scheme Management and Luke Gill - Senior Officer - Species Recovery Programme Earlier this month, we launched a new call seeking ambitious new ideas for projects aimed at recovering England’s …

Numbers of nesting hen harriers in England have risen slightly in 2025

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Hen Harriers, Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery, Species recovery
A hen harrier nest with chicks

By Matthew Heard, National Delivery Director Numbers of nesting hen harriers in England have risen slightly this year, according to data collected by Natural England and partners. Breeding figures and regional breakdown In 2025, Natural England and partners recorded a …

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 …

Thriving Together: Nature, People and Industry in the Tees Estuary

By Vicky Ward, Tees Estuary Nature Recovery Partnership Project Manager It is a bright summer’s morning, as I walk through a striking landscape of contrasts. Through the passing juggernauts and across the brine fields to my right, an abundance of …