From willow bark to mosquitoes, nature has been a source of vital medications for centuries. But species die-off caused by human activity is putting this at risk What will biodiversity loss mean for drug discovery?Traditionally used as a painkiller for…
Chris Packham asks royal family to commit to rewilding estates
Conservationist delivers petition to Buckingham Palace and urges royals to set example before Cop26Chris Packham has called on the royal family to “step up” by committing to rewilding their estates before the Cop26 climate summit.The conservationist an…
‘These salt marshes saved my life’: how nature is helping mental health
Green social prescribing, where people are referred to nature projects, on the rise across UK“It sounds dramatic, but this place saved my life,” says Wendy Turner, looking out over the Steart salt marshes in Somerset. “I am really loving the colours of…
‘The water used to be up to your armpits’: birds starve as Turkey’s lakes dry up
Drought, rising temperatures and poor farming practices are taking a devastating toll on the country’s wildlife“If we stood in this spot a few years ago, the water would be up to your armpits,” says vet Isa Agit, standing on sun-hardened and cracked mu…
Clyde’s fish stocks start to recover – with a different fish than before
Banning fishing does not mean populations simply bounce back, as scientists found off Scotland’s west coastThe closure of the Clyde fishery has led to the recovery of marine species – but not the same species as lived there before, according to a repor…
Number of butterflies in the UK at a record low, survey finds
Experts say results of Butterfly Conservation’s latest survey signal that nature is ‘in crisis’The UK has recorded its lowest ever number of butterflies in an annual survey of the insects, prompting conservationists to warn that nature is in crisis.But…
Fat Bear Week 2021: before-and-after pictures of the contenders
Twelve bulging bears battled it out to take home the illustrious title of Alaska’s fattest bear earlier this week. Thousands cast their vote in the annual competition which compares the pre-hibernation weight gain of the Katmai national park residents….
Ursus gluttonous maximus: 480 Otis wins Alaska’s Fat Bear Week contest
Beefy brown bear, missing two canine teeth, prevails in vote that compares pre-hibernation weight gain in Katmai national parkBeefy brown bear 480 Otis has been named the winner of Alaska’s popular Fat Bear Week contest, an annual competition comparing…
‘Volcanoes are life’: how the ocean is enriched by eruptions devastating on land
Lava is destroying much of La Palma but the last eruption in the Canaries appears to have ‘fertilised’ the surrounding seasThe eruption of the volcano on La Palma in the Canary Islands is a vivid reminder of the destructive power of nature but, as it l…
Global vaccine rollout vital to securing deal for nature, warns UN biodiversity chief
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema says access to Covid jabs for developing world will be critical to the success of in-person Kunming Cop15 summitGovernments hoping for a global agreement to halt biodiversity loss must put more effort into access to Covid-19 vacc…