Where nature strengthens community: celebrating England's first accredited Nature Towns

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Connecting People with Nature, Development, Green Infrastructure, Growth, Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England, Nature
Photo showing 4 smiling women in smart casual clothing standing in a row looking at the camera, in a field with the coastline in the background.

By Marian Spain, Chief Executive, Natural England In this blog, NE Chief Executive Marian Spain reflects on her visit to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP), alongside senior leaders from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the National Trust, to see …

Natural England publishes Hen Harrier Brood Management Trial

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Birds, Evidence, Hen Harriers, Licensing, Monitoring, Natural England, Nature
Close up shot of a hen harrier chick 's head and neck in profile against a blurred grassy background.

By Matthew Heard, National Delivery Director, Natural England Hen Harriers are one of the UK’s rarest birds of prey. However, they are at the centre of a long-running conflict because they prey on red grouse, which are managed for grouse …

Sherwood Forest’s Major Oak: An ending and a beginning

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Connecting People with Nature, Landscapes, Natural England, Nature, Woodland
Major Oak Summer 2025. Credit: Karyn Haw

Karyn Haw, Senior Officer - Nature Recovery Network, East Midlands Area Team Karyn Haw, Senior Officer in Natural England's East Midlands Area Team, reflects on the recent news that Sherwood Forest's iconic Major Oak has died. Drawing on a career …

Putting the wiggle back into the River Kemp

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Catchment Sensitive Farming, Ecosystem Services, Flood Management, Habitat, Land Use, Natural England, Nature Recovery, Nature-based solutions
Walcott wiggle after works completed. Credit: Severn Rivers Trust

By Denise Latham, Senior Officer, Catchment Sensitive Farming, Natural England What happens when a routine farm visit grows into something far more ambitious? Senior Officer Denise Latham shares the story of the Walcot Wiggle, how a conversation on a Shropshire …

Assessing the Health of the River Wye Catchment: An Update

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Evidence, Favourable Conservation Status, Monitoring, Natural England, Nature Recovery, Protected sites and species, Site of Special Scientific Interest
Pristine reach near Aymenstry. The river here is connected to its floodplain and displays classic “run-riffle-pool” habitats.

By Emma Johnson, Midlands Deputy Director, Natural England Natural England has completed a detailed condition assessment of the River Lugg SSSI, part of the nationally protected River Wye catchment. This blog sets out the findings of that assessment, explaining the …

Celebrating the Nature and Archaeology Near You

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Archaeology, Coast and access, Connecting People with Nature, Landscape, Landscapes and access, National Nature Reserve, Natural England, Nature Recovery
Wooded Bronze Age barrow at the entrance to Ravensburgh Castle hillfort at Hexton in the North Chilterns. Credit: Ian Marshman.

By Ian Marshman, Senior Officer - Historic Environment National Delivery at Natural England.  In this blog, Ian Marshman reflects on An Evening With Natural England’s Archaeologists held on 24th June and looks forward to this summer’s Festival of Archaeology. This year …

What Natural England is doing next to protect Dartmoor Ponies

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Farming, Grazing, Natural England, Nature, Protected sites and species, Site of Special Scientific Interest, wildlife and farming
Natural England logo

In recent weeks, Dartmoor's iconic ponies have been at the centre of significant media attention and public debate. We want to use this blog to set out clearly what has been reported, what is happening in reality, and what we …

West Midlands Swift Academy – Connecting People and Swifts in Urban Spaces 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Birds, Connecting People with Nature, Education, Natural England, Nature, Species recovery, Wildlife
Close up photo of a small light brown bird in flight against a blurred gray background.

By Chloe Hardman, Senior Project Manager, West Midlands Area Team   In this blog, Chloe Hardman discusses swifts, and the amazing work being done to protect them within communities in the Midlands. When was the last time an animal made you …

Unlocking the geography of health and deprivation: two enhanced analytical tools launch today

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Connecting People with Nature, Evidence, Green Infrastructure, Mapping, Natural England, Nature
Image shows a neighbourhood that has implemented good GI. A green park with a pathway runs through it, a clear blue sky hangs overhead. The trees and grass are lush and vibrant

By Sarah Hammonds, Urban Greening Senior Officer This blog discusses the launch of two new tools: the Index of Multiple Environmental Deprivation (IMED) and the Environmental Equity Index (EEI). Built collaboratively over 18 months, they map environmental pressures and health …

Creating new wood pasture: What we’ve learned from Nature Returns

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Climate change, Ecosystem Services, Natural England, Nature Returns, Nature-based solutions, Science and evidence, wildlife and farming
Wood pasture illustration of veteran and other open grown trees, decay habitats, scrub and structurally diverse open areas grazed by large herbivores. Reproduced from the Creation of Wood Pasture Systems Toolkit (National Trust, 2023) with permission of the National Trust. Credit: National Trust/Richard Allen.

By Jessica Elias, Natural England Nature-based Solutions are increasingly recognised as an effective way to respond to climate change while restoring nature and improving people’s wellbeing. Through the Nature Returns programme, we’ve had the opportunity to see how one approach …