UK Nature and Environment

Brown hares are the only ‘game’ species in England and Wales that can be shot year-round

When I introduced my first Private Members’ Bill in Parliament last November – aiming to establish a close season for hare shooting in England and Wales – it marked the sixth attempt to introduce such a bill in a decade. Colleagues like Lord Randall, Richard Fuller MP, and former environment secretary George Eustice have previously championed similar efforts to protect pregnant and nursing hares and their dependent leverets during the breeding season.

Some may question the timing of this initiative amid pressing domestic and international issues. However, as someone who deeply values wildlife and biodiversity, I believe that addressing this glaring omission in our wildlife protection laws is crucial. Establishing a close season would incur no costs, while making a significant difference to the welfare of hare populations.

A recent egg count by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) reveals stable numbers of brown hairstreak butterflies on its Oxfordshire site, despite increasing climate and habitat threats.

With Easter still a few months off, the team from BBOWT embarked on its annual egg-hunt tradition, searching for prizes more valuable than chocolate.

The rare brown hairstreak butterfly is found in select areas across the south of Britain, with declining numbers from habitat loss resulting in its Vulnerable designation on the Butterfly Red List. Spending much of its adult life hidden high in hedgerows and in the treetops, this elusive butterfly is monitored by counting its eggs in the winter.

What was thought to be the last bat of its species in the UK may finally have a mate, according to bat experts.

The greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis) was declared extinct in 1992, before a single male was found in a disused railway tunnel in West Sussex in 2002 and another in 2023,

A female of the species has now been spotted in the same area in the South Downs National Park, the first in the wild since the 1980s.

Work is under way in Cornwall to help save a native bird which nature experts have described as "dangerously close to extinction".

The county is one of the last areas in southern England which still has willow tits, according to Natural England (NE).

As part of the project, areas of Goss Moor in mid Cornwall are being managed to create habitat where it is easier for the birds to forage.

Water companies are adopting disinformation tactics similar to those used by the fossil fuel and tobacco industries with the widespread use of greenwashing to downplay the environmental harm they cause, a study says.

Environmental scientists analysed the communications of the nine main water and sewerage companies in England, and compared them with a framework of 28 greenwashing tactics employed, researchers say, by the tobacco, alcohol, fossil fuels and chemical industries.

The water companies have adopted 22 of these tactics to downplay environmental harm, misrepresent information, undermine scientific research, shift blame and delay action, the researchers say.

Plans for a £250m upgrade of a major road network could be disrupted by a butterfly.

Last week, Kent County Council revealed plans to improve the A229 Blue Bell Hill which connects Chatham to Maidstone.

The plans contain a raft of new slip roads and roundabout enhancements, but one of the measures is for an additional lane and a new slip road on the southern-bound carriageway heading to Maidstone.

That would plunge it through the habitat of the Green Hairstreak butterfly.

The Mersey Forest is seeking public input on its new long-term strategy, More With Trees.

It aims to transform Cheshire and Merseyside by increasing tree cover, improving woodlands, and encouraging community involvement in nature-based activities.

The consultation is live until March 2, 2025.

Labour is being warned it is hurtling towards a “powder keg” confrontation with environmentalists, green groups and a swathe of its own supporters in the next few weeks, amid its claims that “blockers” are standing in the way of economic growth.

A flurry of pro-growth measures have been announced by ministers in recent days as part of a government fightback against claims that the economy is stalling.

The drive culminated last week in chancellor Rachel Reeves’s assertion in Davos that economic growth is more important than net zero. She is now on the verge of effectively giving her backing to airport expansion at Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton.

Songbird chicks are being killed by high levels of pesticides in the pet fur used by their parents to line their nests, a study has found.

Researchers surveying nests for the harmful chemical found in pet flea treatments found that it was present in every single nest. The scientists from the University of Sussex are now calling for the government to urgently reassess the environmental risk of pesticides used in flea and tick treatments and consider restricting their use.

Cats and dogs are widely treated with insecticides to prevent against fleas. Vets often recommend regular flea treatments as a preventive measure, even when dogs and cats do not have the pest. But scientists now recommend animals should not be treated for fleas unless they actually have them.

A new initiative, encouraging every household in the Island to take action to support biodiversity and create habitats for wildlife, has been launched by Manx Wildlife Trust as part of their ‘Make Space for Nature’ campaign.

The project, which has been made possible by support from Ørsted, aims to inspire residents to transform outdoor spaces, at their homes and in the wider community, into havens for wildlife.

Working towards the Isle of Man’s goal to see 30% of the Island’s land and sea managed for nature by 2030, the campaign aims to mobilise community wide action in different ways, inspired and enabled by a series of newsletters which will provide practical guidance and free resources over six weeks.

Everyone, whether they have large gardens, small balconies or no outdoor space of their own, can get involved and collectively make a real difference. For those who want to widen their scope and create more ambitious community projects there will be ongoing support from Manx Wildlife Trust through online and in person meet ups, plus access to tailored project by project advice and information.

A new project that will restore and connect vital wildlife sites surrounding one of North Yorkshire’s most scenic roads is now underway along the southern edge of the North York Moors National Park.

Linking Thirsk to Scarborough, the busy A170 winds its way through market towns and quaint villages and passes stunning woodland, pasture and farmland. Now, in a drive to connect these spaces not just for people, but for nature and wildlife too, new ‘insect super-highways’ will be created and cared for as part of GrubsUp!

The two-year project has received funding from Santander UK as part of the bank’s continued support of the UK’s protected landscapes and collaboration with National Parks Partnerships (NPP).

The UK Government has said that it has "no plans to ban driven grouse shooting" after a petition on the subject surged towards 50,000 signatures.

The petition response said that the government "recognises well-managed grouse shooting can be an important part of a local rural economy", adding that "well-managed shooting activities can bring benefits to the rural economy and can be beneficial for wildlife and habitat conservation."

The petition was started in late November by Wild Justice – a non-profit environmental organisation run by Chris Packham, Dr Ruth Tingay and Dr Mark Avery. As of 22 January, it had garnered almost 48,000 signatures.

The decision to withdraw plans for the £274m Norwich Western Link road has been welcomed by two wildlife charities.

The Norfolk Wildlife Trust and the Woodland Trust said they were pleased that Norfolk County Council had pulled its own planning application for the 3.9-mile road.

Leaders at the Conservative-controlled council said they had made the "difficult decision" to withdraw the proposal after objections triggered by rare, protected bats.

Ministers have seen off a bill that would have made the UK’s climate and environment targets legally binding, after promising Labour backbenchers that they would have input into environmental legislation.

The deal avoids an internal row over the bill, which was introduced by the Liberal Democrat MP Roz Savage but had support from dozens of Labour MPs.

Before Friday’s debate on the legislation, ministers insisted on the removal of clauses that would have required the UK to meet the targets it agreed to at Cop and other international summits. A Labour source said the bill as it stood would have forced the government to renegotiate its international climate change agreements.

A landmark bill that would make the UK’s climate and environment targets legally binding seems doomed after government whips ordered Labour MPs to oppose it following a breakdown in negotiations.

Supporters of the climate and nature bill, introduced by the Liberal Democrat MP Roz Savage, say Labour insisted on the removal of clauses that would require the UK to meet the targets it agreed to at Cop and other international summits.

Although it is a private member’s bill, more than 80 Labour MPs, including several ministers, had publicly signed up to support it.

Bee-killing pesticides have been banned for emergency use in the UK for the first time in five years after the government rejected an application from the National Farmers’ Union and British Sugar.

The neonicotinoid pesticide Cruiser SB, which is used on sugar beet, is highly toxic to bees and has the potential to kill off populations of the insect. It is banned in the EU but the UK has provisionally agreed to its emergency use every year since leaving the bloc. It combats a plant disease known as virus yellows by killing the aphid that spreads it.

Prof Dave Goulson, a bee expert at the University of Sussex, has warned that one teaspoon of the chemical is enough to kill 1.25bn honeybees. Even at non-fatal doses it can cause cognitive problems that make it hard for bees to forage for nectar and the chemicals can stay in the soil for years.

Should we be feeding the birds?

Around half of all British households put food out for birds. The Big Garden Birdwatch may tempt nature lovers to top up bird feeders and tables to lure more birds to their gardens to count them. But there is increasing concern over feeding birds.

What’s the problem?

A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that feeding birds can spread disease, particularly among finches. The greenfinch was put on the red list in 2021 after suffering a population crash of 63% since 1993 after a severe outbreak of trichomonosis. This emerged in 2005 and rapidly became endemic in greenfinch and chaffinch populations. An estimated 6m greenfinches and chaffinches have died. Although greenfinch numbers have begun to recover recently, goldfinches have now been found dead from the disease. The disease is caused by the parasite Trichomonas gallinae and affects sociable, flocking birds in particular and is spread through infected saliva in water and seeds (although not to humans). Some garden birds, such as dunnock, appear not to be affected.

There are other potential drawbacks to excessive bird-feeding. A recent study found that feeding birds changes the local phosphorus cycle – potentially adding extra nutrients to the environment which can favour some plants over others and reduce biodiversity and damage wild habitats such as woodlands.

Four harvest mouse nests have been found at a wind farm in Cornwall, according to surveys.

The survey by Cornwall Mammal Group was carried out after staff at the Carland Cross wind farm near Newquay spotted a juvenile harvest mouse nesting close to a control building.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust said tussocky grassland provided "ideal conditions" for the species.

An environmentalist said he will keep fighting for the climate despite being criticised by the prime minister after millions of pounds in taxpayer money was spent opposing his legal bids to block transport schemes.

Andrew Boswell, a former Green Party councillor, has been involved in numerous legal challenges against A47 safety schemes and claimed the planning system does not work to protect nature or the climate.

In a comment piece published in the Daily Mail on Thursday, external, Sir Keir Starmer said "Nimbys and zealots" had tried to stop the government from "building the infrastructure the country needs".

If government ministers and civil servants are grey squirrels, they may think they can rest easy – the predatory pine marten in the Westminster jungle is leaving them in peace.

A campaigner who has “created a landscape of fear” over the authorities’ failure to protect nature is stepping back from Wild Justice to spend more time with the wildlife – and grandchildren – in his garden.

But Mark Avery has vowed that the campaign group he co-founded with Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay six years ago will redouble its efforts to pounce on broken government promises and law enforcement that fails to restore biodiversity in Britain.

Water quality monitors installed in response to toxic pollution near England's largest lake are ineffective, campaigners have claimed.

The Environment Agency (EA) installed the monitors at Cunsey Beck, which feeds into Windermere in the Lake District, after a fish kill in June 2022 in which "100% of life" within the river was suspected to have died.

Save Windermere campaigners claimed a test they carried out using non-toxic dye showed the equipment was wrongly placed, meaning it could not pick up flow coming from a nearby sewage pipe.

People are being urged to spend an hour this weekend counting the birds in their garden, park or local green space for the world’s largest survey of garden wildlife.

More than 9m birds were counted last year by 600,000 participants in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, providing a vital snapshot of how wild birds are faring.

This year’s survey will reveal whether the recent cold spell across Britain has adversely affected numbers, particularly of smaller birds such as long-tailed tits and wrens, which struggle in prolonged cold.

Thousands of citizen scientists took part in the Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland’s fourteenth New Year Plant Hunt2 to find wild or naturalised plants flowering in midwinter. Their observations are providing us with robust evidence of how our wild plants are responding to a rapidly changing climate, and the implications this may have for all our wildlife.

Here’s a summary of what the plant hunters found:

• 647 different plant species in bloom, the third highest total in the history of the Hunt.
• 25,000 individual plant records – a record number.
• The three most frequently recorded species were Daisy, Dandelion and Groundsel.
• Almost half (48%) of the species in bloom were flowering later than expected vs around a quarter flowering earlier than expected.
• Just over half (52%) of the species in bloom were native to Britain and Ireland.

Scotland must do more to help hydropower facilities maximise their output and prevent negative impacts on wildlife in the face of the challenges posed by climate change, according to a new report.

Scotland's Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW) commissioned the report, which is published today (Wednesday 22 January), and is based on research from the University of Glasgow and cbec eco-engineering.

They worked closely with partners at hydropower companies, Scottish Canals, SEPA and NatureScot on the report, which lays out a series of recommendations to help tackle the problem of sediment buildup at dams and weirs across the country.

An increase in the temperature of Scotland’s seas over the last decade has been found to be changing the types of animals and plants found on rocky shores in Scotland to those that favour warmer waters, according to a NatureScot study published today.

The report investigated changes in over 50 species at 167 locations around Scotland’s coasts over the last decade. The study found clear evidence of warming in rocky shore communities. The shift towards warm-water species was shown by an increase of 0.14 degrees Celsius in the average temperature preference of the community, at the same time as a small increase in average sea temperature around Scotland of 0.20 degrees Celsius was recorded. While these temperature rises may seem small, they translate into significant changes in the natural world, highlighting that climate change is already having an effect on Scotland’s rocky coasts.

The report revealed that some warm-water species are flourishing, such as the purple topshell, particularly on the west coast of the country. Cold-water species, on the other hand, are experiencing mixed fortunes with some, such as beanweed, declining, while others, including cold-water barnacles, increasing in number. Overall, however, the modest temperature increase has already resulted in a small shift in dominance towards warm water species.