This is Ground Cover – your weekly guide to British nature conservation. Read on for the latest news, science, reports and features. Not a member? Subscribe today.
In journalism, there is nothing as thrilling as real-world impact. That might be prompting a conversation, influencing a policy, getting people involved in a project or... seeing your readers to donate to the Wildlife Trusts' Rothbury Estate appeal.
I was unspeakably delighted to see so many familiar names pop up after I urged readers to support to this once-in-a-generation cause two weeks ago. Just look at this!
They haven't crossed the finish line yet, and the deadline is now less than three weeks away. I truly feel this is a countrywide effort – a real opportunity to enhance nature at scale – and everyone who afford to chip in should do so.
Which is why I want to incentivise even more donations! Contribute something – anything – to the appeal, email us, and we will send a voucher for £25 off Inkcap+ membership. (Let us know if you donated previously: you can still have the code.)
On a less momentous note, I was happy to learn that WWF-UK has launched its own coffee beans, with all profits going towards their conservation work. Scroll to the bottom to read about that.
This week, we also cover:
- Turtle Doves in the South Downs
- Lessons on rewilding from the Dutch
- An online spat over sheep welfare
- A tree-planting pensions scam
National news
Gamebirds | Defra has launched a call for evidence on the impacts of rearing, releasing and shooting gamebirds. This follows the government’s Land Use Framework, published in March, which stated that ministers would consider introducing licences for gamebird shoots. The review will examine their impacts on wildlife and protected habitats, disease spread, animal welfare, wildlife crime and natural resource use. Wildlife organisations have welcomed the news; the WCL said the ‘industrial scale’ of modern shoots is ‘failing nature’ by putting undue pressure on protected habitats and native wildlife. Campaigner Guy Shrubsole pointed out that released pheasant numbers are increasing annually – reaching more than 26 million this year – and called on the public to ‘take a stand’. Meanwhile, shooting group BASC called the review ‘a fight for the future of shooting’. The news was widely covered.
Security | Green Party leader Zack Polanski has called for the release of the full unredacted report on the national security implications of global biodiversity loss. The report was produced last year by the committee that oversees MI5 and MI6, using military intelligence to assess the likely consequences of ecosystem collapse, but its release has been repeatedly blocked and delayed by Downing Street. An abridged version was published in January, but those in the know suggest that the complete version goes much further, warning of mass migration, more polarised and populist politics, and acts of eco-terrorism. At the Wild Summit in Bristol on Wednesday, Polanski asked whether Andy Burnham would finally ‘tell the truth’ and called for a new Nature, Biodiversity and National Security Act ‘to put resilience at the heart of the government’. The Guardian covered the story.
Planning | Reform has set out its vision for housing and development in its Planning Teal Paper. At the centre of the proposals is the development of brownfield land. To this end, the party proposes repealing Biodiversity Net Gain requirements and repealing the Habitats Regulations for brownfield schemes, with less stringent requirements elsewhere. Its ambitions, the policy paper notes, should be seen through the lens of ‘existing commitments to ending Net Zero and reversing mass immigration, which will remove significant barriers for housebuilders whilst meaningfully increasing supply for Britons.’ Jackie Copley, chief planner at CPRE, conceded that Reform was correct to focus on brownfield development, but stressed that their plan was both ‘offensive to migrants’ and ‘risks further harming nature at a time of ecological decline.’ Housing Today and Property Week covered the news.
In other news:
- First Minister John Swinney has announced that NatureScot and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and possibly Scottish Forestry, will be merged into one environmental mega-agency, report the Northern Times and ENDS.
- Beekeepers have called for a national awareness campaign about the impact of Asian hornets, reports the Guardian.
- New polling by ScotLINK reveals ‘a high level of concern for the environment’ among the public.
- In Wales, the Peatland Restoration Grant is open for applications from landowners and organisations. Apply here to get cash for your ‘spongy landscapes’.
- The Wildlife Trusts have published a new online hub for Local Wildlife Sites. Read more about it in this blog by Natural England.
- The Met Office has confirmed that Britain has just experienced its warmest summer on record, reports the Times.
The only nature briefing you need.
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