As Halloween approaches and the days shorten, the lights will come on a little earlier. It’s a feature of urban environments we often overlook, but for many species it’s the dark, and not the light, that’s home. Night and day Artificial light at night (ALAN) means fewer dark habitats, and while it makes our own …

Hedgerow management at the individual level is underpinned by the hedgerow management lifecycle (developed based on work by Nigel Adams): recognising the fact that hedges are living and dynamic entities. The next step in the journey of hedge management is to consider the wider landscape context. Developing a hedgerow management plan raises many questions. Which …

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 …

Badgers and boars Male badgers are known as boars, and female badgers, as sows and, while wild boar and badgers are very different beasts, it isn’t hard to see a resemblance… Wild boar (Sus scrofa) belong to the group Artiodactyla (hoofed mammals with an even number of toes), along with deer. Badgers (Meles meles), on …

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 …

We have a longstanding partnership with Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation (SLCF), led by Bayara Agvaantseren, to protect snow leopards in the Tost Nature Reserve, South Gobi, Mongolia. We’re pleased to share with you some considerable achievements. This partnership is making a real, tangible difference to the future of snow leopards in Mongolia, and we’re committing …

Gaining key insights into how to manage hedgerows for dormice Recently launched, the National Dormouse Footprint Tunnel Survey will use footprint tunnels to detect the presence or absence of the charismatic but rare hazel dormouse in hedgerows. The need for surveying hazel dormice is clear: it is thought that their population has halved in the …

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 …

While we can do a lot to encourage wildlife in urban green spaces and improve the green health of our towns and cities, it’s also true that, for some, it can be a jungle out there. Without thinking, we can easily create unintentional hazards around gardens and allotments. Removing these can make these spaces a whole …

Taking part in surveys and making your garden wildlife friendly can make a real difference With extreme heat warnings and wildfires dominating the news in recent weeks, it’s easy to forget that local wildlife – from hedgehogs and hares to bats and badgers – may also be struggling with this summer’s harsh conditions. But, the …