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Our Natural Health Service

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 …

National Nature Reserves – for inspiration and celebration!

Golitha Falls National Nature Reserve

By Mike Downey, Principal Officer for National Nature Reserves This week is a really exciting week in the calendar for England’s National Nature Reserves (NNRs). Monday 20th May marked the start of National Nature Reserves Week 2024, an annual celebration …

Joining up nature recovery and health priorities

A young boy, wearing a red mac and yellow trousers climbs over a fallen tree within a lush forest

By Ruth Lamont, Principal Adviser in Research Ethics & Dave Bell, Principal Adviser in Health, Wellbeing and the Environment, at Natural England We know that nature, human health and well-being are intrinsically linked, and this week, Natural England has released …

King’s Lincolnshire coast visit to feature in Boxing Day documentary

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Landscapes, National Nature Reserve, Natural England
King Charles and Tony Juniper, Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve

In summer 2023, King Charles III visited a new Natural England National Nature Reserve (NNR) on the Greater Lincolnshire Coast to film for a BBC documentary to be broadcast on Boxing Day. The Lincolnshire Coronation Coast NNR was officially declared …

Enhancing Access to Green & Blue Spaces for People with Visual Impairment

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England, Science and evidence, Uncategorized
Amar Latif, President of the Ramblers and blind adventurer is walking in the woods with a colleague. Amar is wearing a brown overcoat and is carrying a white cane. He is smiling broadly. His colleague is wearing a blue rain jacket and has his hands in his jean pockets. He is also smiling. The trees in the woods don’t have any leaves and it appears to be a chilly day.

Natural England's mission is 'Building partnerships for Nature recovery,' and we are passionate about building partnerships that make outdoor recreation activities available to everyone. Our commitment to the Equality Act 2010 underscores our dedication to inclusivity in all our endeavours. …

Reconnecting communities with nature through local libraries

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Education, Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England
A mother gives a leave to her young child, who is holding a small rake for working in the garden

In our increasingly fast-paced and urbanised world, the need to reconnect with nature has never been more pressing. Recognising this, Natural England and Libraries Connected have joined forces to launch the Culture Nature project, a ground-breaking initiative aimed at bridging …

Join us in celebrating England’s most important places for nature – National Nature Reserves

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: National Nature Reserve

By Jamie Neale, NNR Week Coordinator, Natural England 2023 is a pioneering year for England’s most important places for nature, National Nature Reserves (NNRs). Between May 20th and May 29th, the very first National Nature Reserves Week (NNR Week) will …

Homes around the heathland: Giving people and wildlife the best place to live

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Special Protection Area

By Allison Potts, Thames Solent Area Manager Nestled amongst the gorse and scrub of the Thames Basin Heath’s Special Protection Area lie some of the most important habitats for ground-nesting birds in the world. The nightjar, Dartford warbler and woodlark …

A blueprint for a better future: new Green Infrastructure advice

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Climate change, Mapping, Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England

My connection with nature started when I was a small boy, aged 9, sat by a small pond no more than 10 feet across, watching sticklebacks swimming around in the weeds. As I sat there a kingfisher arrived and started …