The romance of lost places

There is a romance to lost things. Nature writers, at least, seem to love the idea. Sitting on my own bookshelf I have The Lost Words, The Lost Rainforests of Britain and The Lost Paths.

Conservationists, too, seem to enjoy recovering lost things. Recent initiatives include the Lost Wetlands and Lost Peatlands projects. In today's newsletter, we look at The Lost Woods project in Sussex, where, thanks to the efforts of volunteers, the woods are no longer so lost.

Why this emphasis on rediscovery? I feel vaguely qualified to comment: my own book is called Nature's Ghosts: The World We Lost And How To Bring It Back. Perhaps it speaks to the adventurer in us – the sense that there are places yet to be explored and things waiting to be recovered. Perhaps the word carries a vague reassurance: lost, after all, is not the same as gone for good (luckily for my keys).

What do you think? Tell us about your own rediscoveries in the comments.

Also in the newsletter this week, we have:

• Wildlife on bank notes
• How British colonialism fuelled Australian bushfires
• The alarming decline of hedgehogs
• Tony Juniper goes Bluefin Tuna fishing
• Two new books on land and culture

National news

Conservatives | At the Conservative Party Conference on Monday, shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith said a future Conservative government would scrap Natural England and the Environment Agency and embark on a ‘bonfire’ of building regulations. Griffith accused the agencies of inflating costs and obstructing the construction of too many homes. Instead, their essential functions would be handed over to Defra. Further plans included removing both net zero requirements and environmental standards for new homes. Meanwhile, shadow Defra secretary Victoria Atkins attacked other government policies, including a ban on burning heather. The plans have drawn strong criticism. Craig Bennett of the Wildlife Trusts said they repeated Starmer’s ‘divisive, scapegoating tactic’ on a much bigger scale and would amount to ‘gross negligence’. The news was widely covered, with detailed updates in the Guardian, and a comment piece in the Spectator.

Money | The next set of English bank notes will feature Barn Owls, Buff-tailed Bumblebees, Atlantic Puffins and European Hedgehogs, following a public vote on which native creatures should appear. The Bank of England announced the winning animals after nearly 500,000 people responded to the consultation. The hedgehog, owl and bumblebee were the most popular animals in their respective categories, while the puffin was selected to celebrate the British coastline and marine life, the Bank said. The creatures beat other top contenders including the Red Fox, Common Kingfisher and Emperor Dragonfly. This will be the first time since 1970 that the notes will no longer feature notable figures from history, a change which sparked a backlash when it was announced in March. The news was widely covered.

Wildfire | The government quietly abandoned plans to prepare England's countryside for wildfires, reports the Guardian. A wildfire risk programme, promised by the Conservatives for 2023 to 2027, was never implemented. Guy Shrubsole, who obtained the information via a freedom of information request, said it was 'appalling' that the government 'couldn't be bothered to pay attention to wildfire risks until jolted into doing so by Britain burning this summer'. Separately, data obtained by the Country Land and Business Association found that more than half of 29 fire services had no wildfire-specific protective equipment, while training was limited: in Cleveland, just five staff were qualified to command wildfires. The government said wildfire preparedness is now a priority and that it is convening a summit with fire services.

In other news: 

• Polling by the RSPB has found that three-quarters of Scots think offshore wind farms should only be built where they won't harm nature. The Herald reported the news.  
• The Wildlife Trusts has responded to the first use of the government’s Nature Restoration Levy for housebuilding in Norfolk, calling it ‘a doubtful sticking plaster’. The BBC covered the news.
• Activist group Project Slingshot has launched a campaign against farmed salmon, featuring 5,000 adverts on the London Underground, reports the Grocer and Herald.
• The Royal Horticultural Society has predicted record sightings of mushrooms and toadstools across the UK this autumn, reports the BBC. 
• Environment Agency data obtained by Watershed and Unearthed has revealed ‘concerning levels’ of TFA, a toxic ‘forever chemical’, in almost all rivers and groundwaters tested in England.