Beaver wild release: a milestone for nature recovery in England

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Climate change, Flood Management, Licensing, Natural England, Nature Recovery, Nature-based solutions, Wildlife
Beaver entering the water. Credit: Maria Thompson, Natural England

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. …

How new technologies are helping us monitor one of England’s largest grey seal colonies 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Evidence, Mapping, Marine environment, Monitoring, Natural Capital, Natural England, Nature, NCEA, Science and evidence, Seals
A seal and its pup on Horsey Beach. Image: Natural England

By Gabriella Fasoli and Nick Tomline (AI specialists), Emma Milner (marine mammal specialist) and Elizabeth Mitchell (engagement), all on the marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (mNCEA) programme Documenting Norfolk's biggest beach party On a windy day in December, something …

Harnessing Nature-based Solutions to help combat flooding

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Flood Management, Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery, Nature-based solutions
Two images: on the left is a drone, and on the right is the drone control with data the drone is capturing on a screen

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 …

How can Nature-Based Solutions address the climate and Nature crises?

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Climate change, Marine environment, Natural Capital, Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery, Nature Returns, Nature-based solutions, Peat, Protected sites and species

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 …

Apprenticeship Week: Developing the Skills for Nature’s Recovery

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Climate change, Natural England, Nature Recovery, Nutrient Neutrality, Science and evidence

To celebrate Apprenticeship Week 2025, Ecologist Apprentice, Annalise Machin, shares her apprenticeship journey with Natural England, highlighting the impact her developing skills will have for nature’s recovery. I have always had an interest in in the natural world, loving the …

Helping nature to recover and thrive in the Wye Valley in Derbyshire

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Climate change, Environmental Improvement Plan, Farming, Landscapes, Natural England, Nature Recovery, Nature Recovery Network, Wildlife

Ruth Keeley, Wye Valley Nature Recovery Project Senior Officer Back in 2022, Natural England and Defra announced five unique Nature Recovery Projects (NRP) across the Peak District, West Midlands, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Somerset. Since then, a further seven projects have …

Three churrs for the heathland bird survey

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Evidence, Monitoring, Natural Capital, Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery, Science and evidence
Dartford warbler. Credit: Philip Ray

By Alison Giacomelli, Senior Specialist – Ornithology, Natural England Heathlands are home to the eerie sound of churring Nightjars, sweet melody of singing Woodlarks and the rattling song of Dartford Warblers. This year teams of volunteers and fieldworkers will be …

Guest blog: Showcasing successful onsite Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) project management

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity Net Gain, Biodiversity Net Gain – Hints and Tips, Climate change, Development, Uncategorized
A large pond seen through trees and wildflowers with new homes in the background: Ponds can play a key role in biodiversity net gain

In the run up to the first anniversary (12 February) of the introduction of BNG as a mandatory approach to development, making BNG a statutory requirement in all (non-exempt) Town and Country Planning Act applications we invited two open space …

Green Infrastructure: the catalyst for Urban Greening 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Climate change, Connecting People with Nature, Development, Environmental Improvement Plan, Flood Management, Green Infrastructure, Landscape, Landscapes and access, Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), Mapping, Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery, Nature Recovery Network, Tree Planting, Wildlife

It’s two years since Natural England launched the Green Infrastructure (GI) Framework to support the creation of good quality Green Infrastructure. It’s well documented that we need to build a more sustainable future, and at the forefront of this movement …

'LUF-t off' for a more strategic approach to growth and Nature

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Biodiversity Net Gain, Environmental Improvement Plan, Farming, Flood Management, Landscapes, Natural England, Nature Recovery, Nature-based solutions, Protected sites and species, Science and evidence, Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Area, Species recovery, Tree Planting, Wildlife, wildlife and farming
Cator North Park, Kidbrooke Village, London, with integrated BNG, including wetland and wildflowers

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 …