Having suffered a 90% drop in population, they still face extinction in Britain – but a new initiative offers a glimmer of hopeA hundred and fifty water voles were last week settling into new homes on the riverbanks of Hertfordshire. The animals had be…
English cities could be given national park status under new proposals
Government body Natural England is considering move in response to Glover report on protected landscapesCities in England could be granted national park status – affording urban areas the same level of environmental protection as natural landscapes – a…
Hello hawthorn! £10m sand dunes project brings plants back to life
Traditionally, scrub has been allowed to swamp England and Wales’s sand dunes, but now they are being set freeA few dark clouds, remnants of the storm that whipped up the North Sea the night before, still hang in the big Lincolnshire skies, above a coa…
Rewilding: should we bring the lynx back to Britain?
Reintroducing the big cats could control deer numbers and enrich ecosystems but farmers and the public need reassurance, say expertsThe maverick rewilder Derek Gow is wearing an extremely small pair of coral pink shorts as he introduces his three new E…
Guess who’s coming to dinner? Roadkill placed on ‘sky tables’ to lure rare birds of prey
Farmers are laying out carcasses to tempt vultures and eagles back to the UK countrysideWhen a griffon vulture last year graced the UK with its presence, awed birdwatchers from across the country gathered in the Derbyshire moors in the hope of catching…
Scottish island castle, with barrel organ and rot issues, seeks caring new owner
Nature agency needs community-minded buyer to save Kinloch Castle, on Rum in the Inner HebridesWith red sandstone battlements, a sprung-floor ballroom, and a prized orchestrion organ said to have been made for Queen Victoria, Kinloch Castle on the Inne…
World Elephant Day: inside Kenya’s first indigenously run sanctuary for orphans
Established in 2016, the Reteti sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates young elephants so that they can be reintroduced to the wild. It is owned and run by the Samburu communityWords and pictures by Ami VitaleIn the mountains of northern Kenya, a Samburu …
Wild beaver numbers surge to 1,000 across Scotland’s southern Highlands
NatureScot hails conservation success but draws criticism after revealing 115 animals were killed under licenceWild beavers have colonised lochs and rivers across the southern Highlands of Scotland after a sharp surge in their numbers.A survey by Natur…
The gift we should give to the living world? Time, and lots of it | George Monbiot
Planting 10 saplings does not replace a twisted old oak. ‘Slow ecology’ is the only way to preserve and restore ancient habitatsWe have a slow food movement and a slow travel movement. But we’re missing something, and its absence contributes to our esc…
How Camley Street brought nature to the heart of the capital
Hidden next to the canal at the centre of London’s King’s Cross is Camley Street Natural Park. It is a tiny haven providing a breath of fresh air for both wildlife and local residents. But our cities need many more…Beyond the plastic grass and polished…