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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 …

Holme Fen National Nature Reserve peatland restoration project

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Climate change, National Nature Reserve, Nature Recovery, Peat

By Catherine Weightman, Natural England’s Senior Project Manager for Peatland Restoration in the Fens - West Anglia Team   I’ve been working for Natural England and its predecessors for more than twenty years. I’m currently working on peatland restoration in the …

BNG lessons learned with Local Planning Authorities

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Biodiversity Net Gain, Biodiversity Net Gain – Hints and Tips, Development, Green Infrastructure, Licensing, Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England, Nature Recovery Network
Image shows a few newly built houses at a development site in Thakeham. A pond is at the forefront of the image with green grassy land around it and lots of vegetation, allowing for nature to thrive. A beautiful clear blue sky hangs overhead.

By Ruth Andreyeva, Director of Land, Water and Seas strategy Biodiversity net gain (BNG) became mandatory in England earlier in 2024, after many years of collaboration across industry and the public sector. We celebrate this milestone wholeheartedly, but we’re not …

A simpler, clearer and faster way to decide when to consult Natural England on planning applications that might affect a SSSI

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Development, Mapping, Protected sites and species, Site of Special Scientific Interest
An aerial view of part of Chesil and the Fleet SSSI, which is designated for its coastal lagoon seagrass beds and vegetated shingle saltmarsh

By Sarah Middlehurst, Senior Officer, Natural England Today sees the launch of a new tool that will help local planning authorities (LPAs) decide when to consult Natural England on planning applications that might impact a SSSI. The new and improved …

Our Natural Health Service

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Connecting People with Nature, Education, Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England
Image shows Natural England’s Chief Operating Officer, Oliver Harmar, Senior Occupational Health Therapist, Tracy Metcalf and the Care Trust’s Chief Executive, Therese Patten. They stand together on a NHS site, all hold gardening tools, ready to get to work.

By Esther Smith, Senior Adviser, Health and Environment, Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire Area Team The links between health and nature have arguably never been clearer. The healing power of nature is taking centre stage for people’s health and nature’s recovery …

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