Headbangers Whilst some birds sing to attract a mate and intimidate their neighbours, woodpeckers take a different approach. They hammer their beak against a tree trunk at incredibly high speeds – up to 40 strikes per second for the great spotted woodpecker. There’s no denying that’s impressive! There’s been some debate about how woodpeckers...
Top 10 issues for The Wildlife Trusts and nature’s recovery in 2023
In 2023, The Wildlife Trusts will call on the Government to ensure that nature is able to recover by… In 2022 we witnessed first-hand the impacts of a warming world on nature in the UK, with devastating wildfires and extended periods of drought putting nature under increasing pressure. Research also revealed that global wildlife...
Nature recovery needs Government’s new plan to succeed – but wildlife declines will persist
Dramatic increase of £1.2bn extra per year is needed to restore nature say The Wildlife Trusts Today the Government’s much anticipated Environmental Improvement Plan is published. It sets out how the Government is going to achieve their manifesto commitment to ‘deliver the most ambitious environmental programme of any country on earth’. But with less...
Farming announcement today a welcome step in the right direction
Image – Early Oat Fields, Haregill Lodge Farm, Ellingstring, North Yorkshire – Paul Harris/2020VISION Today Defra has finally published more details on the Environmental Land Management schemes (ELM) that farmers have been clamoring for. Whilst many questions remain, The Wildlife Trusts, RSPB, and The National Trust welcome a significant step in the right direction...
UK government allows ‘emergency’ use of banned bee-harming pesticide just days after EU tightens protection
UK government allows ‘emergency’ use of banned bee-harming pesticide just days after EU tightens protections Today, 23 January 2023, the government has announced that for the third year in a row, it will permit the use of the banned pesticide thiamethoxam – a type of neonicotinoid – on sugar beet in England in 2023....
Scale of nature and climate crises undermined by low ambition farm payments
The Government has announced new payments for farmers which raise serious questions as to whether we’ll see any better environmental outcomes now than the era of the much-derided Common Agricultural Policy. Our food security’s dependence on nature and a stable climate is in the spotlight at this week’s farm conferences, particularly in the light...
Landmark COP15 agreement gives nature hope for the future, if implementation follows
After twelve days of talks and two years of delay, negotiators at COP15 in Montreal have agreed a historic global deal to protect nature. The new Global Biodiversity Framework enshrines the target of protecting 30% of land and sea for nature in international law, and commits richer countries to providing $30bn a year to...
Government’s new Environment Act targets defy public opinion on polluted rivers and wildlife recovery
The Wildlife Trusts are appalled that Government ignores public’s plea to improve river health and protected places – and allows nature to flatline for next 20 years Today, the Government unveiled their overdue domestic environmental targets while taking the stage at the international nature conference, COP15, where negotiators are attempting to agree a global...
Twelve Birds of Christmas
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Help #DefendNature
No Nature. No Future. Abundant, healthy wildlife and a thriving environment are the answer to many of the challenges we face today. Without nature, there will be no food, no growth, no security, no peace of mind. No future. And yet, UK Government has launched an attack on nature – suggesting the laws in...
Marvellous mustelids
Mammal expert Stuart Edmunds introduces this incredible collection of carnivores. What is a mustelid? Mustelid probably isn’t a word that most people use very often. Everyone has heard of stoats and weasels, but you might be unaware that these carnivorous animals belong to a group of mammals called the mustelids. Other members of the...
Little tangible progress for nature at COP27 as the world heads to Montreal next month
The nature and climate crises are two sides of the same coin, and one cannot be solved without tackling the other. So as the gavel finally rests on a deal at COP27, and with just a handful of weeks until the international biodiversity conference in Montreal, we review COP27’s key outcomes for nature. The...