Almost 100 nationwide events are set to mark Orchard Blossom Day 2024 This Friday [26th April] marks the return of Orchard Blossom Day 2024, where traditional orchard groups across the country host events to celebrate fruit trees, their produce and nature. The annual springtime celebration falls on the last Friday in April, but local events …

We will plant 45,000 miles. Not a follow up song by the Proclaimers, but an ambitious target set by Defra to plant and restore 45,000 miles of hedgerow by 2050. An opportunity to design It’s been a long time since we’ve planted hedges at any sort of scale. In fact, most of the hedges we …

The first mammals made an appearance around the start of the dinosaurs’ heyday, 200 million years ago. Then (as now), most dinosaurs were diurnal (active during the day) and keeping out from under their feet was probably a smart move. So, mammals adopted an alternative lifestyle, busying themselves at night. Goats town For a lot …

Help is needed across the country to protect Britain’s fastest declining mammal, before it’s too late Wildlife conservation charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is calling for volunteers in all corners of England, Scotland and Wales to survey endangered water voles, whose populations have plummeted by a staggering 90% since the 1970s. Despite being …

A pioneering new three-year pilot project – the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme (NHMP) – has been launched. For the first time, this will enable robust estimates of hedgehog populations in different habitats across the country, show how these are changing year on year, and, in time, give a national estimate of Britain’s hedgehog population. The …

This spring, leading wildlife conservation charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is calling for volunteers across the UK to take part in its popular annual Living with Mammals survey, in a bid to track changes in our wildlife. ­Volunteers are needed to record sightings of any wild mammals they see each week in their …

Watching water voles in 2023 Last year, PTES volunteers played a crucial role in helping us map the whereabouts of Britain’s water voles. The results from the National Water Vole Monitoring Programme (NWVMP) in 2023 were fantastic and it’s the dedicated time and effort put in by our monitors that means we can all look …

Charity calls for help recording endangered wildlife in gardens and on local riverbanks This spring, leading wildlife conservation charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is calling for volunteers across the UK to take part in their annual spring surveys in a bid to help endangered wildlife and the habitats they call home. From March …

What is wood pasture? Wood pasture is a man-made mosaic habitat featuring open-grown veteran and ancient trees, an open ground layer such as grassland or heathland, grazing animals, wood decay and flowering shrubs. The structure and appearance can vary depending on historic and current management. If the site is in good condition, there will be …

Professor Anna Nekaris, a world-leading primate conservationist, global expert on nocturnal primates, and one of wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES)’ five Conservation Partners, has been listed on The New Year Honours 2024 List. Prof. Nekaris will receive an OBE from King Charles III for her outstanding commitment to conserving slow lorises – …

This positive status change reflects the species’ remarkable recovery in Kazakhstan due to ongoing conservation efforts, but action is still needed to ensure populations continue to improve, especially in Uzbekistan where only 500 individuals remain Today [11th December 2023], the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ status of saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) has improved from …

Below us, as the aeroplane started its descent, the lights of Tashkent stretched as far as the horizon. The capital of Uzbekistan is home to over two and half million people, making it the largest city in Central Asia. I was arriving there, close to midnight, on a visit to meet our Conservation Partner Elena …