nature

Wildlife cameras have failed to explain why the last known colony of puffins on the south coast of England has failed to raise young.

In 2023, naturalists noticed that the seabirds near Swanage, Dorset, had stopped bringing fish to their nests on the cliffs.

They speculated that rats or crows had eaten the chicks.

However, motion-sensor cameras installed at the site in 2024 have recorded no predators and have not provided any other explanation, the National Trust said.

The use of pesticides on UK farms is to be reduced by 10% by 2030 under government plans to protect bees and other pollinators.

Campaigners welcomed the news, but said they were disappointed that the target applied only to arable farms and not to urban areas and parks.

The plan has been a long time coming – it has been delayed since 2018. The EU’s target for pesticide reduction is more ambitious; its member states aim to reduce the use and risk of chemical pesticides, as well as the use of more hazardous pesticides, by 50% by 2030.

Beavers that were reintroduced to a county for the first time in more than 400 years are “settling in really well”, a conservationist said.

The large rodents were brought to a 17-hectare (42 acre) fenced enclosure at Rushden Lakes in Northamptonshire in February.

The family of eight, including adult female Boudicca, adult male Alan, and their six young, known as kits, were moved down from Scotland.

Wildlife trusts and environmental charities are joining calls for people to take part in No Mow May.

The campaign urges gardeners to avoid mowing their lawns to give pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, a boost by allowing wildflowers to thrive.

Avon Wildlife Trust and nature protection charity, Plantlife, are amongst the organisations supporting the annual campaign.

A two-year project across three counties has uncovered more than 1,300 hectares (3,271 acres) of previously unknown ancient woodland.

These are woods that have persisted since 1600, packed with a range of forest-loving plant life, fungi, insects and micro-organisations, making up some 2.5% of UK land (609,990 hectares or 1,507,318 acres), external.

The project was run by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. The total area of ancient woodland in the area is now known to be 12,552 hectares (31,016 acres).

Almost 455,000 trees have been felled across the country by local councils over the past 10 years, i can reveal.

Campaigners have said more must be done to preserve trees and have accused councils of prioritising planning developments over environmental concerns.

Freedom of Information (FOI) requests sent to all 382 councils in the UK revealed North Lanarkshire felled the highest amount of trees at 31,480, followed by Birmingham with 21,486 and Hampshire County with 18,535 trees felled over the last decade.