We were incredibly sad to hear from Sue Portsmouth that one of our long-term dormouse monitors, Karen Bigmore, passed away at her home in April. Karen has been a dedicated monitor and a well-known part of the dormouse community for years. She started monitoring dormice at Hadleigh Great Wood in Essex in 2006, training Sue …

The Blackmoor Copse Dormouse Monitoring Team made some surprising discoveries regarding the nesting material hazel dormice were using in their woodland during the hot summer of 2022. Blackmoor Copse, a 90-acre oak-over-hazel-coppice wood, is owned by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and lies deep in south-east Wiltshire. The dormouse nest boxes – which have numbered between 90 …

Lions will only survive if conservationists make bold, brave decisions and devise innovative strategies – and that’s what PTES Conservation Partner Amy Dickman is doing across swathes of East Africa where lions are found. Dangers to lions and humans Imagine, says Amy Dickman, joint chief executive of the conservation group Lion Landscapes, that you were …

5th May 2022 Dear Minister, Re: Assault on nature protections   We are deeply concerned about the UK Government’s Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, laid on 22 September. This represents the single biggest potential modification of environmental law in the UK in recent history. It puts at risk hundreds of laws that are …

It’s National Hedgerow Week and this year we are celebrating hedgerows as homes for wildlife. From bats in the tree canopy, to song thrushes in the scrub layer and hedgehogs at the hedge base, a multitude of species call the hedgerow network home. In fact, one study counted 2070 species in one 85m stretch of …

Open letter from 78 organisations responding to The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill and Planning and Infrastructure Bill to weaken planning protection. 3rd October 2022 Dear Prime Minister, Your government’s recent moves toward environmental deregulation will hasten the decline of our natural world. Together, The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill and Planning …

Bountiful supplies of berries and slightly cooler days herald the start of autumn. It’s a busy time of year for dormice, hunting for ripe hazelnuts, blackberries, or the odd sloe kernel, in preparation for hibernation from October onwards. The earlier evenings mean we could be more likely to catch a glimpse of this elusive and …

There are some species we know so little about that every observation is exciting. Black and chestnut eagles are one such species with just 250 adults left in the world. With so few individuals left, identifying and protecting remaining eagles and their preferred habitat can make a significant difference to the future of the species. …

Tree planting is currently at the forefront of many environmental policies. It’s the perfect opportunity to establish new trees in our hedgerow network. Well-managed hedges provide overlapping woodland, flowering scrub and pasture habitats, and mimic the rich environment of a woodland edge. Hedgerow trees are a valuable component in this habitat mosaic.  The wildlife value …

The Aral Sea in Central Asia is synonymous with ecological and socio-economic collapse. At the centre of this region lies, what until the sea largely vanished, used to be an island: Vozrozhdenie (meaning ‘Resurrection’). This remote island has been home to critically endangered saiga antelope for at least 400 years. Until recently, the unique biodiversity …

The Nature Recovery Green Paper, which Defra published on 16 March 2022, includes sections on consolidation and rationalisation of species protection and the creation of a new tiered approach to species protection in England. As a champion and leader for conservation and research for some of England key mammal species, PTES has a significant interest …

House building efforts in the UK are a constant source of contention. Too many? Too few? Whatever the case, it’s undeniable that development all too often affects our wildlife and the dwindling habitats they rely on to survive. Many of our species in our nature-depleted country are impacted by infrastructure projects. Yet there are measures …