News

The value of healthy hedgerows Hedgerows have been at the heart of British farming for centuries. However, without the traditional lifecycle approach to management, their structural condition has been steadily declining. Last century, over half of our hedgerows were lost through incentivised removal; whilst recognition of their value has turned this around, it means those …

PTES staff were thrilled about the exciting news that one of the rarest reptiles in the world has had a boost in numbers, thanks to the impressive efforts of PTES partner, Fauna & Flora. Read on for an inspiring report from their team and local experts about the discovery of Critically Endangered Siamese crocodile nests …

Ellie Scopes recently completed her PhD at the University of Exeter. She investigated how often and when hazel dormice are found in hedgerows and scrubby habitats in the South West. Her results are a useful insight into how dormice use these habitats and how we might improve our surveying and management of these critical areas. …

Setting up the National Dormouse Monitoring Programme The National Dormouse Monitoring programme (NDMP) was set up in 1990. It started with only 13 sites but under the guidance and enthusiasm of Pat Morris and Paul Bright it quickly grew and, within two years, there were 28 sites. In September 1992 the first newsletter, called The Dormouse …

Zebo Isakova is Project Manager at Saiga Conservation Alliance (SCA). She works with our Conservation Partner Elena Bykova. Here Zebo describes their Saiga Day celebrations last year, when Nida Al-Fulaij, CEO, visited their project, highlighting their successful engagement with the local community and the positive impact of their conservation efforts. SOS – Save Our Saiga: …

Back to Beds for sleepy dormice This week, in early June, 10 rare hazel dormice have been reintroduced into a Bedfordshire woodland to bolster the county’s only existing population. These animals will help create a bigger and more genetically diverse population of the species in this wood, and is part of our ongoing conservation effort …

A successful predator with a big appetite Britain’s waterways support a diversity of our native wildlife as they meander through tranquil verdant landscapes and bustling urban centres. Yet, an ominous threat lurks on the banks, imperilling the delicate natural balance. Enter the American mink (Neovison vison), a successful predator with a big appetite and a …

The National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme (NHMP) is an exciting new project aiming to calculate robust population estimates for hedgehogs. The project officially launched at the end of March 2024 and the pilot phase is currently running for three years, until May 2026. We started our first surveys last year (2023) and are looking forward to …

Barn owls are one of our best-loved and most recognised birds. Hunting in the daytime as well as during the night, their distinctive heart-shaped faces and ghostly silent flight have endeared them to us, despite their status as an avid hunter. They feed in long grass and woodland edges where they hunt for voles, shrews …

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 …

Sushmita Kar, one of our conservation insight grant winners at the Turtle Survival Alliance, talks to us about her recent field work expedition in Nagaland, India, searching for released Asian giant tortoises. Why are we looking for Asian giant tortoises? Asian giant tortoises are mainland Asia’s largest tortoise and the 6th largest in the world! …