I recently had the opportunity to attend the official launch of the UK’s National Seagrass Nursery, held by the Ocean Conservation Trust (OCT) as part of its Blue Meadows project. Based on the River Dart, in Devon, the National Seagrass Nursery spans 400 square metres, making it the largest of its kind in the UK. This exciting launch event brought together a variety of national and local stakeholders, all with a vested interest in safeguarding and restoring our seagrass meadows.
Seagrass plays a vital role in marine ecosystems, with a single hectare capable of supporting 80,000 fish and 100 million small invertebrates. These marine meadows are also important carbon stores, absorbing carbon up to 35 times more efficiently than tropical rainforests. Unfortunately, since the 1930s the UK has lost around 90% of its seagrass beds, with the decline driven by a combination of disturbance, disease and pollution.
The OCT’s Blue Meadows project is working to combat this decline, aiming to protect 10% of all UK seagrass meadows and restore 50ha of seagrass over the next decade. The National Seagrass Nursery is a key component of realising these ambitions, and I was lucky enough to enjoy a guided tour of the facility.
In recent years, the OCT has developed a two-pronged approach to subtidal seagrass restoration, using hydro marine seeding and seagrass mat technology in combination. Reflecting this dual approach, the nursery is divided into two sections. One side of the facility is dedicated to processing seagrass seeds that have been harvested from donor sites along the coast of the South West. These seeds are stored in large tanks and, over time, the organic matter that holds them against the flowering stem rots away, allowing the seeds to sink to the bottom. Some of these seeds will be planted directly into the seabed using the HMS OCToPUS, an innovative injection device reminiscent of a large caulking gun. Others will be taken to the other side of the nursery and planted into sand on hessian mats. These mats are then placed into shallow tanks of fresh seawater, which is pumped in from the nearby estuary. Here, they will grow into plantlets, and after 4–6 months they will be ready for planting into the seabed. The mats are then taken to the chosen restoration site and carefully pegged in place by divers.
Despite the innovative facilities and technology on display at this event, what I was most impressed by was the knowledge and dedication of the team. OCT and its supporters have worked incredibly hard and have already seen some early success with 208ha of seagrass currently protected and 3ha restored. The launch of the National Seagrass Nursery represents an exciting step in UK seagrass restoration, and I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for this initiative. You can learn more about the Blue Meadows project here.
UK Fungus Day is an annual celebration of all things fungi, organised by the British Mycological Society. The day invites people to get involved and learn more about the world of fungi through interactive events, online resources and institutions. We were lucky to speak to Professor Mark Ramsdale, about what makes UK Fungus Day and UK mycology so important.
Mark is chair of the BMS Fungal Education and Outreach Committee and head of training at the Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter.
Can you tell us how the British Mycological Society began and what its mission is today?
The British Mycological Society was first active in the late 1800s, when small groups of naturalists began organising “forays among the funguses” to explore and record fungi. What began as a shared passion soon became a learned society, dedicated to advancing fungal biology, supporting research, and encouraging collaboration between scientists and enthusiasts. Today, the BMS is a community for professional and amateur mycologists and enthusiasts. It is one of the major mycological societies in the world, committed to promoting cutting-edge scientific research, fungal conservation and species recording and the provision of educational resources.
And about the society’s current strategic aims here
UK Fungus Day has been running for over a decade. What impact have you seen it make so far, and where would you like to see it go next?
UK Fungus Day has had a huge impact over the past decade, both in raising public awareness and in shaping how fungi are perceived. When it began, fungi were often seen as a niche interest. Now, thanks to the coordinated outreach, school activities, citizen science projects, and media coverage that UK Fungus Day generates each year, there’s a much greater recognition of the vital role of fungi in ecosystems, climate regulation, and even human health.
One of the biggest shifts I’ve noticed is how fungi (funga) are now being celebrated alongside plants (flora) and animals (fauna) and included in biodiversity conversations. More schools, community groups, and nature reserves are running fungus-focused events, and citizen scientists are contributing valuable records that inform policy development and strengthen fungal conservation efforts. The event has also helped inspire the next generation of mycologists by making fungi approachable, fascinating, and fun to learn about.
Looking ahead, I’d like to see UK Fungus Day expand its reach even further, engaging even more with sectors such as food, medicine, art, sustainability and technology – to show just how interconnected fungi are with our lives, and why fungal research is so important.
What are the best ways for people to get involved with UK Fungus Day and mycology as a whole?
There’s so much going on! Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced mycologist, you can join local fungus walks and forays, take part in citizen science projects like “Find-a-Fungus” on iNaturalist, or explore fungi creatively through school and community initiatives such as “Fungi Connect”. There are also talks, festivals, workshops, and exhibitions, taking place all over the UK. Or, you can simply head outdoors to photograph and learn about fungi in your own neighbourhood. The UK Fungus Day website features blogs on a range of fungus-focused topics; there’s also poetry and videos of past talks and presentations on YouTube @BritmycolsocOrgUk. However you take part, UK Fungus Day is all about discovery, and helping to grow our understanding of the fungal world.
Mycology appears to be gaining greater appreciation in popular science with more media, books and ID guides being written each year. Some even reaching best seller status. Why do you think this is, and do you hope to see even more coming from the discipline?
Fungi are certainly receiving more attention in popular science media now, and I think this is down to several converging factors. For a long time, fungi were a “forgotten kingdom” compared with plants and animals so they have not been on people’s radars, yet they clearly underpin many key processes. Increasingly, public interest in climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainability has brought fungi into the spotlight because they are powerful agents of change.
Fungi have always inspired creative artists, and it is not hard to see why. Their biology is full of surprising and often unfamiliar elements: hidden mycelial networks that connect life underground, fruitbodies that mysteriously appear overnight, and species that can adapt their shapes in response to their environment. So, in terms of both popular science and science fiction, their unusual strategies of growth, survival, and reproduction lend fungi an aura of mystery that fuels the imagination. For many, they offer metaphors hinting at hidden connections, transformation, resilience, renewal and decay – concepts that resonate throughout storytelling and art.
It may also simply be that the extraordinary colours, forms and versatility makes them visually compelling subjects. Writers, filmmakers, and field biologists have all recognised this, producing books, documentaries, and field guides.
This cultural shift and growing awareness translate into greater public engagement, fuelling a desire for people to join fungal forays, learn identification skills, and contribute to citizen science recording schemes. As a professional mycologist, it is hugely encouraging: broader awareness of fungi feeds into conservation priorities, medical and agricultural research, and a deeper appreciation of biodiversity as a whole. I absolutely hope the momentum continues. Mycology still has countless stories to tell, and the public appetite is clearly there for more inspiring works.
What developments in mycology are you most excited about right now, and what are your hopes for the field in the future?
I’m particularly excited by the growing recognition of fungi in conservation. In the UK, species such as Waxcaps and wood-decay fungi are finally being acknowledged for their global importance, especially in ancient grasslands and forests. Protecting these ecosystems means protecting the fungi that underpin them.
At the same time, research is giving us unprecedented insight into the fundamental biology of fungi. We are beginning to unravel the molecular mechanisms that control fungal growth and development, yet there are still huge gaps in our knowledge – especially around how fungi interact with one another and how they organise into complex multicellular structures.
From a medical perspective, advances in our understanding of how fungi interact with the immune system are particularly exciting. We now know that the immune response to fungi is much more dynamic and nuanced than previously thought, and that we can use this to our advantage in treatment patients with fungal infections. On top of this, the recent discovery that some fungi host intracellular bacterial parasites which can alter their susceptibility to antifungal drugs opens up entirely new avenues for treatment of human fungal diseases.
What books would you recommend for someone just starting out in mycology? Similarly, what would you suggest for readers wanting to explore the subject further?
There are many excellent books to choose from and different reasons to look at them…
Tributes continue to arise from across the globe as people and institutions remember the life and legacy of Jane Goodall, who has died at the age of 91. The pioneering primatologist and conservationist was regarded as a world expert on chimpanzees, and her discoveries have revolutionised our understanding of ethology. She will be remembered as a tireless advocate for environmental protection and the animal kingdom.
The High Seas Treaty has now reached its 60th ratification, globally, meaning that it will take effect in January 2026. This important environmental milestone provides the foundation for legal mechanisms to create protected areas in international waters outside of national jurisdiction. Ratification represents a positive step towards ocean protection, however MPA designation is not an absolute guarantee that destructive practices will not be banned within the designated area. The British government’s move to continue the allowance of bottom trawling within UK MPAs demonstrates the apparent malleability of the legislation when governance sees an opportunity to override protection in favour of a perceived profit.
The UK itself is still a long way off ratification, but the government has committed to the introduction of legislation, the first step in the process, by the end of the year.
The government has moved to extend the ban on burning vegetation on deep peat. The new legislation means that burning will be banned on all peat that is over 30cm deep. Restrictions are not limited to SSSIs and will cover 676,628ha of deep peat in total – up from 222,000ha under the prior legislation. The ruling has been welcomed by nature groups as a positive step, both towards protection of peatland habitats and tackling the climate crisis.
The Climate Change Act 2008 under threat
Kemi Badenoch has vowed to repeal the Climate Change Act if the conservatives win the next election. The act, which was passed with almost unanimity in 2008, has served as the cornerstone of targets to reduce emissions and mitigate climate change over successive governments. Badenoch has stated that her prospective government would prioritise “growth, cheaper energy, and protecting the natural landscapes we all love”, in a declarative statement that has prompted widespread condemnation from senior conservatives, scientists, economists and businesses. The claims made to support her stance of repeal have been fact checked and reported here.
Members of the fungal kingdom come in a remarkably diverse variety of shapes, sizes and colours. This blog provides an introduction to several captivating and commonly encountered fungal genera, highlighting their key characteristics, applications and identification tips.
We hope that this guide serves as a useful starting point to help recognise a few of the broad groups of mushrooms commonly encountered in the UK, but it should not be used for foraging purposes. There are around 15,000 species of fungi in Britain and identification can be extremely challenging, often requiring microscopic examination. Even in popular edible groups there are species or lookalikes that can cause serious illness, so it is vitally important to never collect or consume mushrooms unless you are absolutely certain of the identification.
There are around 600 species in the Amanita genus across the globe. This fascinating group exhibit great diversity but are best known for Fly Agarics and their distinctive crimson cap which features in mythology, folklore, art and media. While some members of this genus are edible, Amanitas are better known for their poisonous qualities and hallucinogenic properties. There are roughly fifty Amanita species that can be found within the UK. Around fifteen species are common and can be readily found near the base of trees, and five of these individuals are considered poisonous. Despite containing some edible species, the genusis generally avoided and are not considered safe for the novice forager.
Key Characteristics: Amanita’s form a mycorrhizal symbiotic relationship with trees – where they release enzymes and other organic acids to break down organic matter, making the nutrition in the soil more bioavailable. In turn, trees will provide Amanitas with nutrition synthesised through photosynthesis. These mushrooms can be characterised by white (or off-white) gills, that are closely spaced and free from the stipe and they are often seen with irregular patches, or ‘warts’ on the cap, which are fragments of the veil – a membrane that enclosed the young mushroom.
Uses or Applications: Research has shown potential for Aminata species in healthcare, particularly for their anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. Historically, Fly Agarics have also been used as an insecticide, where they were broken up into milk and used to trap flies.
Species Examples: Death Cap (Amanita phalloides), Destroying Angel (Amanita virosa), Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria), Panther Cap (Amanita pantherina)
Introduction: More than 100 Mycena species can be found throughout Britain and Ireland, although less than half of these are considered common or widespread in distribution. They are often referred to as ‘bonnets’ and consist of small, delicate toadstools with fragile stems and a number of these species are known to be bioluminescent, caused by a chemical reaction within the tissue cells.
Key Characteristics: A small conical or bell-shaped mushroom with a thin stem. Mycena caps can be translucent or may have light striations and on the underside, gills are attached to the stipe and produce white spores. Due to their small size (caps from 0.5 – 15cm), some species may only be identified through microscopic examination and spore sampling.
Uses or Applications: Due to their small size, Mycena are not considered edible – some species within the genus are poisonous, and since the group are difficult to identify, they are generally regarded as unsuitable for foraging.
Species Examples: Common Bonnet (Mycena galericulata), Rosy Bonnet (Mycena rosea), Lilac Bonnet (Mycena pura)
Introduction: The Psyilocybe genus is a widespread group of mushrooms, some of which are well known for their psychoactive properties. They are found across the globe in a range of nutrient rich habitats, and can be found growing in clusters in mossy, grassy or forested areas in the UK. The genus is split into two clades, one of which is comprised of hallucinogenic species that have a blue staining reaction when bruised (however it is worth noting that not all blue-staining fungal species contain psilocybin).
Key Characteristics: Psilocybes fall into the ‘little brown mushroom’ category – a non-descript, brown to yellow coloured mushroom that is small to medium in size. These gilled toadstools typically produce a dark spore print, have a slender stipe and a hygrophanous cap that changes colour as moisture levels change in the mushroom tissue.
Uses or Applications: Psilocybes are often referred to as ‘magic mushrooms’ for their psychoactive properties. Species in this genus can contain compounds such as psilocybin, which induce hallucination and changes in perception for those who have ingested the compound and has been historically used to treat some psychiatric conditions.
Species Examples: Liberty Cap (Psilocybe semilanceata), Wavy Cap (Psilocybe cyanescens).
Introduction: A genus of puffball mushrooms with approximately fifty species across the globe. These instantly recognisable fungi are common and widespread around the UK and can be found on the ground in woodland and pasture with plenty of leaf litter, where they decompose organic matter.
Key Characteristics: Lycoperdon species have a distinctive set of characteristics that allow for easy identification. These small-medium sized balls do not have gills or spores and have no cap. They tend not to have a stipe, but some species do have a small one that can appear thicker. Some species have a tough outer skin, and inside, the mushroom should have white, spongy flesh that turns yellow or brown as the spores mature. Members of this genus are basidiomycetes – they produce spores within the basidia (a microscopic spore-producing structure) which are located inside the fruiting body, releasing a cloud of spores when squeezed.
Uses or Applications: Most species in the Lycoperdon genus are edible. They are said to have a mild taste and smell, making them choice edibles for many foragers. Although they have a tendency to become slimy once cooked, puffballs are a common substitute in various vegetarian dishes.
Historically, puffballs have been used in medicine for their hemostatic properties which stop or slow the flow of blood, and blacksmiths in particular are known to have kept puffballs in the forge for these properties, as well as their ability to aid in the healing of burns.
Species Examples: Common Puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum), Pestle Puffball (Lycoperdon excipuliforme), Stump Puffball (Lycoperdon pyriforme)
Introduction: There are around 250 Boletus species worldwide, which until recently, were divided into smaller families and have since combined to form a larger genus. There are approximately 80 species of Bolete within the family Boletaceae in the UK, and many of these are choice edible species for foragers. As a largely mycorrhizal group, Boletes are commonly found in woodland or forest but may also be found in grassland habitats. Boletes can be found in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours –appearing quite large with thick, meaty fruiting bodies or smaller in size with more delicate features. Species in this group are basidiomycetes – instead of gills, these mushrooms have spongy, pore-filled masses on the underside of the cap which release spores.
Key Characteristics: Boletes are usually large, fleshy mushrooms with a thick stipe, characterised by spore-bearing structures on the underside of the cap, called tubes. The group is basidiomycetes, which feature a spongy mass containing pores that disperse white to yellow spores into the air. A large number of Boletes are also known to form mycorrhizal relationships with trees, and can often be found under broadleaf and coniferous trees.
Uses or Applications: A number of Bolete species are edible, including the King Bolete, and are considered some of the most versatile edible fungi.
Species Examples: King/Cep/Porcini/Penny Bun Bolete (Boletus edulis), Summer Bolete (Boletus reticulatus), Bronze Bolete (Boletus aereus)
If you’d like to delve deeper into the world of fungi and attempt to identify the mushrooms species you come across, here are our top picks to get you started:
The National Biodiversity Network Trust has been supporting the sharing of wildlife data since 2000. The trust consists of over 200 members, ranging from world renowned organisations to individual enthusiasts and there are now more than 300 million wildlife records available through the NBN Atlas. Mandy Henshall, communications and engagement manager for NBN tells NHBS about the early days of the trust, achievements so far, how you can get involved and their hopes for the next 25 years.
How did the NBN Trust come into being in 2000?
It might come as a surprise, but there’s never been a legal requirement for any one organisation to collect or manage biological records over the long term.
Despite, or because of this, the Biological Records Centre (BRC) was set up in 1964 to bring together data, mostly from volunteer recording groups, share it with conservation organisations and publish the findings.
The BRC has done a brilliant job, but without a joined-up approach or enough resources to support both local and national recorders, no single organisation could get a full picture of what was going on. As the need to report on environmental issues grew, so did the pressure to make data more accessible.
The push to create the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) came from the Biodiversity Action Planning process, which followed the 1992 Rio Summit. A report from the Coordinating Commission for Biological Recording helped bring together UK organisations in 1997 to pool their efforts and make sharing data easier.
That’s how the NBN Trust came to be. It was set up as an independent charity in 2000 to help build and support the Network.
If you want to delve a little deeper, you can find out more about our story and our founding members on the NBN Trust website.
What was the early work focused on?
In the beginning, the focus was all about getting things off the ground and developing projects and activities that would help move the NBN Trust forward and support the wider Network. Some of the key things we worked on included:
Creating a shared set of principles for how data should be exchanged
Hosting an annual Conference to bring people together, share ideas, and build connections across the partnership
Launching the NBN Gateway — the first online platform for sharing biodiversity data (this was replaced by the NBN Atlas in 2017)
Building the Species Dictionary (now called the UK Species Inventory – UKSI) in 2003, which enabled data to be indexed and searched
Producing guidance on everything from managing and sharing data to handling sensitive information and intellectual property rights, so that data could be used more freely and confidently
Creating mapping resources to support better mapping and recording
Much of this is still central to our work today.
What has been the biggest change for the NBN Trust and wildlife recording since 2000?
There have been two major changes over the years:
The first is all about technology, specifically the launch of the NBN Atlas in 2017. This platform is based on the Atlas for Living Australia and was built to handle the growing amount of data being shared. When we moved from the NBN Gateway, we were making 117 million records available. Now, the NBN Atlas holds over 300 million species records, so almost double. Downloads have also increased significantly, with over 1 billion records downloaded by the end of 2024.
The second big change is how much easier it has become for anyone to record and share wildlife sightings. Thanks to apps and websites like iNaturalistUK, iRecord, and other platforms, many more people are getting involved. This new and accessible technology helps to standardise record collection and gather more valuable data, from experts and citizen scientists alike, which can be used to protect and restore nature.
Looking ahead: What might the next 25 years hold for the NBN Trust?
Undoubtedly, technology will continue to keep evolving and changing how we record and share biodiversity data. We’ve already started seeing this with the rise of environmental-derived DNA (eDNA) datasets on the NBN Atlas, and that’s only going to grow. We’ve made big upgrades to the Atlas to keep up with technological advances and the sheer volume of data, and we’ll need to keep adapting as new tools and techniques come along.
We might also see more automated data collection, like AI-powered species identification from photos or sounds, and even drones or remote sensors helping to monitor habitats in real time. These kinds of innovations could make recording faster, more accurate, and accessible to even more people.
It’s not just about technology though, who we engage with in the future will be crucial to our success. We’d like to increase our impact and our mission by working not only with data collectors, academics, and policy makers, but also with businesses, financial institutions, and the private sector all of whom have a crucial role to play in tackling the planetary emergencies through data, collaboration, and investment in nature. This will be a key change for us, but one which is really exciting.
Despite these broader changes, the heart of the Network will still be the recorders: the volunteers, the citizen scientists, and the organisations who collect, share and verify data. Without them, there wouldn’t be an NBN Atlas, or a National Biodiversity Network.
So, as we celebrate being 25, we’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who’s part of the NBN community. Whether you’re a member of or donor to the NBN Trust, a partner in the NBN, a data provider to the NBN Atlas, or someone who’s just started recording wildlife – you’re helping us to make data work for nature.
We have our annual NBN Conference on 20th November in Bristol. This will be themed around our 25 years anniversary and will delve into the past, present and future of the NBN. It’s also a great occasion to come together and celebrate the amazing people already recording nature through the NBN Awards for Wildlife Recording. The Awards’ shortlist can be found here and NHBS is one of our generous sponsors.
Finally, as a UK registered-charity, income generated from our donations and partnerships helps fund our vital work supporting the whole UK nature recovery sector with wildlife data.
We’re nothing without our members, supporters and donors and we’re grateful to every individual and organisation that contributes to our work. If you would like a future where nature is thriving everywhere, in all its diversity, please consider a donation. Every penny will go directly to our work – to make data work for nature. Thank you. https://nbn.org.uk/support-us/
Mandy Henshall Communications and Engagement Manager NBN
NHBS has teamed up with the Wild Planet Trust as part of our ongoing commitment to support wildlife and conservation. We have donated over 30 habitat boxes alongside wildlife cameras for use both on their local reserves and zoo sites.
We recently had the opportunity to speak with Reserves Warden Dave Ellacott, who is responsible for both the Primely and Clennon reserves. This week, we chatted to him about the work of the trust, his plans for the donated boxes and what successes and challenges he faces in his work.
Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about Wild Planet Trust, what you do and how the organisation began?
Wild Planet Trust – previously called the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust – operates zoos, but we also manage nature reserves. I look after two of them: Primley and Clennon. Primley is what remains of the old garden and parkland that surrounded Primley House, the former estate of the Whitley family and residence of the zoo’s founder, Herbert Whitley. In 1995, the first warden was brought in to transform it into a local nature reserve and public open space. It’s been a popular spot for locals ever since. Clennon serves a slightly different purpose. For the most part, there is no public access. This allows us to safeguard the habitat from disturbances caused by human presence. However, Paignton Zoo’s Nature Trail, which zoo visitors can access, offers the public the opportunity to experience a small corner of this reserve, including our traditionally managed coppice woodland. Both reserves play their part in supporting local ecosystems while offering people genuinely rewarding places to connect with nature.
What are you hoping to achieve with the installation of our habitat boxes across your three nature reserves?
These sites already have considerable natural assets – caves, some magnificent veteran trees, and areas we deliberately leave undisturbed. The habitat boxes should provide those additional ecological niches that might otherwise be absent. It’s about creating opportunities for species that need very specific conditions for nesting or shelter. Every habitat has its gaps, and these installations should help fill some of those spaces. We’re curious to see what takes up residence and how it might shift the balance of wildlife we’re already supporting.
A large part of the work that Wild Planet Trust does is focused on educating the next generation on the natural world. Why do you think this is so important?
While education isn’t really my area – I’m more focused on the practical side of habitat management – I can see how these reserves function as living demonstrations of what healthy ecosystems actually look like. When families explore the Nature Trail at Clennon or spend time wandering Primley’s varied landscapes, they’re experiencing woodland, meadow, and wetland habitats firsthand rather than just reading about them. There’s something valuable in that direct encounter with nature that you simply can’t replicate in a classroom. People need to feel that connection before they truly understand why conservation matters.
What conservation challenges have you faced over the past few years?
Ash Dieback has been particularly challenging – it’s an ongoing process of assessment, removal, and replanting that’s fundamentally altered the character of our woodlands. You’re constantly weighing safety against habitat value and planning for a very different canopy structure than what was there before. Then there’s the perpetual balancing act between maintaining public access and protecting sensitive habitats – you want people to engage with these places without compromising their ecological integrity. But we’re increasingly seeing the impact from climate change too, which adds another layer of complexity. From gradual shifts in species behaviour and plant communities, to the sudden loss of our 230-year-old Lucombe oak in Primley during Storm Kathleen last year – we’re continuously having to adapt our management approaches while working within realistic resource constraints. All of this means being strategic about where you can make the most meaningful impact.
Halting species decline and preserving vital ecosystems is a key aspect of the work you do. Do you have a favourite success story that you can share with us?
The transformation of Primley’s meadowland over the past three decades is probably our most satisfying long-term achievement. It’s been a simple but persistent approach – removing the annual hay crop to gradually reduce soil fertility and allow a more diverse plant community to establish. What was once a rather monotonous sward dominated by aggressive grasses has evolved into diverse wildflower meadow. The change has been incremental but vital for native biodiversity, supporting insects, birds, and small mammals. It’s a perfect example of how patient, consistent management can restore ecosystems, even if the results take decades to fully appreciate.
Finally, are you working on any other conservation projects at the moment that we can hear about?
Maintaining what we have certainly keeps us occupied, but we’re also developing some thoughtful enhancement projects. We’re planning watercourse improvements across both sites – installing leaky dams and other features that should improve flood resilience while creating diverse wetland habitats. The Ash Dieback situation, while challenging, has also created opportunities to diversify our woodland structure with more resilient native species. We’re thinking carefully about connectivity too – how these reserves can better serve as stepping stones in the broader landscape for wildlife movement. It’s about working pragmatically with the challenges we face while looking for those opportunities to genuinely improve what we can offer.
Autumn 2023 saw the exciting return of beavers to England’s capital city, with the release of five animals in an 8ha enclosure at Paradise Fields, Ealing. Here, Dr Abhilesh Dhawanjewar, Technology Lead for the Ealing Beaver Project, shares an account of this community rewilding project, from its conception and achievements so far to hopes for the future of the Ealing beavers.
Bringing the Beaver Back to Ealing: A Community-Led Rewilding Success Story
Eurasian Beavers (Castor fiber), Europe’s largest rodent are incredible creatures with an amazing ability to transform their surroundings, lending them the well-deserved title of ‘ecosystem engineers’. Occupying vast regions across Europe and northern Asia for over 12 million years, they have shaped our waterways and wetland habitats, creating rich and resilient ecosystems supporting a wide diversity of plants and animals. Commercial demand for their fur, meat and castoreum led to relentless hunting and persecution of the beavers, driving them to extinction in the UK 400 years ago. The species narrowly avoided the same fate across Europe, its survival hinging on justeight relict populations that totalled a mere 1200 individuals. Their absence from the UK has coincided with a 90% reduction in Britain’s native wetlands in the last century and increased flood and drought risks. Having realised their ecological benefits, beaver reintroductions across Europe have helped to restore habitats and boost biodiversity.Reintroduction projects in the UK gaining momentum lately.
Beaver at Paradise Fields by Abhilesh Dhawanjewar
The Road to Ealing
As the UK government refined its reintroduction strategy, free-living beavers were already on London’s doorstep, with populations expanding in Kent and Oxfordshire. Anticipating their natural return, the London Beaver Working Group was formed in 2021 to proactively manage their arrival. After consultations and site visits, Paradise Fields in Ealing was chosen as an ideal location for a trial reintroduction. The site was already targeted for expensive flood mitigation engineering works, and beavers presented a natural, cost-effective alternative. After a license was granted in January 2023, the project gained momentum, fuelled by enthusiastic local volunteer groups and vital seed funding from Ealing Council and the Mayor of London. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Ealing Wildlife Group, Citizen Zoo, Friends of Horsenden and Ealing Council with additional support from Beaver Trust, the Ealing Beaver Project was born with three key objectives:
Bring back the Beaver: Reintroduce beavers for their intrinsic value in nature
Mitigate urban flooding: Learn to manage beavers in the urban context and harness their water-engineering skills
Boost Biodiversity: Restore wetland habitat and encourage a richer diversity of flora and fauna
Public Engagement: Foster greater public understanding and coexistence with beavers in an urban setting
What sets the Ealing Beaver Project apart from other similar initiatives is its community-driven and inclusive approach to urban rewilding. While most beaver reintroduction projects in the UK are tucked away in the remote countryside or on vast private estates with paid access and closing times, the Ealing Beaver Project is one of the first fully accessible enclosed beaver reintroduction sites in the UK, offering a rare opportunity for the public to observe and engage with beavers in a city environment. At the same time, it allows local communities to directly benefit from the ecological improvements that beavers bring, such as improved biodiversity, better water management, and revitalised natural spaces.
Progress so far
A family of five Eurasian beavers was introduced to Paradise Fields in Greenford, Ealing on 11th October 2023 and since then, the Ealing Beaver Project has become a flagship example of urban rewilding in London. Within days of their arrival, the beavers had already started shaping their new home, building dams, creating new waterways and pools and kickstarting the transformation of the site into a thriving wetland. To date, they have constructed seven dams across the site, holding more water on the landscape and minimising the flooding downstream during high rainfall events. Their activities have also opened up the overshaded tree canopy, creating a mosaic of habitats supporting greater biodiversity.
Beaver swimming in the lagoon by Caroline Farrow
Early results from monitoring and ecological surveys are promising: water quality sampling has shown a reduction in nutrient levels such as phosphates and nitrates, as well as total dissolved solids including pollutants and road runoff particulates, in water leaving the site compared to that entering it. Since the beavers’ arrival, the return of several species has also been recorded at Paradise Fields. Invertebrate populations have increased, especially water quality sensitive species such as freshwater shrimp, diving beetles and caddisfly larvae, which in turn has attracted two new species of bats and four new species of birds, early signs of a flourishing, interconnected system. The biodiversity benefits also extend to amphibians with an explosion in Common Frog spawning on site, thanks to the beavers’ ecosystem engineering activities.
Perhaps the most promising sign that the beavers have truly settled into their home came in the summer of 2024, when at least two new kits were born. This historical moment marked the first record of breeding beavers in urban London in centuries. While beavers went extinct in the UK 400 years ago, they likely vanished from London’s waterways even earlier. The fact that beavers were commonplace in London is preserved in the legacy they left in names like the Beverly Brook, a small river in Southwest London whose name is thought to derive from “beaver stream”. It’s the ultimate validation that the urban habitat at Paradise Fields is a suitable habitat, and that beavers and people can successfully coexist in a bustling urban landscape.
Paradise Fields by Cathy Gilman
On the community engagement front, interpretative signage has been installed on the site to help visitors learn more about beaver adaptations and ecology and visitors are encouraged to log their wildlife sightings on platforms like iNaturalist, further promoting citizen science data collection. The hugely popular Guided Walks and Beaver Safaris led by members of the Ealing Beaver Project team have welcomed hundreds of visitors, offering a first-hand look at this rewilding success story. In a borough-wide naming competition, primary school pupils chose names for four of the resident beavers: “Willow” and “Woody” for the original pair introduced in 2023, and “Chompy” and “Chewbacca (Chewy)” for the kits born in 2024.
The Ealing Beaver Project leadership team also shared their urban rewilding model at the international BeaverCon conference in Colorado, and participated in knowledge exchange panel discussions and workshops. The story of the project has also been beautifully documented in the award-winning short film “Beavers in Paradise” by filmmaker Matt Brierley and commissioned by Consano Earth, which premiered to an international audience for the first time at BeaverCon. Drawing from insights gained from the conference, a pond levelling device was recently installed on-site to demonstrate how water levels can be proactively managed. The project has recently attracted significant support, including a recent grant from the HS2 Community and Environment Fund, which will be vital for enhancing public education and engagement for years to come.
One of the many dams built by the beavers on site by Abhilesh Dhawanjewar
What’s Next for the Ealing Beavers?
The project’s remarkable success has provided a powerful validation of the urban rewilding approach. As it moves towards the halfway point of its five-year license, the key priorities are
The continued monitoring of this evolving landscape.
Documenting the water quality and biodiversity improvements in the area.
Helping to design mitigation strategies that balance beaver activity with the needs of local communities and neighbouring infrastructure.
Public engagement lies at the heart of the project and this will only deepen in the years to come. The revitalisation of this urban green space, right next to a busy retail park, has fundamentally improved how visitors interact with nature. The fully publicly accessible site serves as a vital outdoor classroom, where visitors can witness the dynamism of a beaver engineered landscape first-hand. Fuelled by the recent support, plans are underway to expand educational programs for local schools and the public, demonstrating how people and wildlife can live alongside and benefit from each other in our cities.
The project team is exploring options to trap the eldest daughter, born in 2022 and introduced to Paradise Fields in 2023 for translocation to other suitable beaver projects, helping support the national effort to restore this keystone species. With the recent announcement from the UK government regarding licensing the wild release of beavers, the team is also exploring how this pilot could inform the reintroduction of free-living beavers in Greater London. While Paradise Fields remains an enclosed trial, the project has contributed valuable insights into coexistence, site suitability, and the infrastructural tweaks needed to support beavers in England in the long-term. The hope is that future generations of kits from the Paradise Fields family will be able to roam freely, improving the health of England’s river systems and wetlands.
Perhaps the most anticipated next step is one that the beavers’ meticulous activities have been preparing the site for all along: the reintroduction of water voles. Water voles are Britain’s fastest declining mammal, having lost 90% of their population since the 1970s, due to habitat degradation and fragmentation along with overshading of riparian habitat. Restoring habitats and improving our aquatic ecosystems are a necessary step towards supporting water vole populations and with the beavers’ help, we can improve the health of our wetlands making them more resilient and providing valuable habitat for other vulnerable species.
The Ealing Beaver Project is a testament to the conviction and power of community-led conservation, the profound effectiveness of nature-based solutions to urban problems and the inspiring possibility of welcoming wildlife back into our cities for the benefit of both people and nature.
Proposal to reintroduce Eurasian Lynx to Northumberland
A draft proposal for a trial reintroduction of Eurasian Lynx to Kielder Forest, Northumberland has been released by the Lynx UK Trust. The organisation ‘s previous application to reintroduce lynx to the same site in 2018 was rejected by then incumbent environment secretary Michael Gove. He cited the proposal’s failure to properly address the ‘social feasibility’ of reintroduction as reason for rejection. A trial release of lynx may be ecologically feasible but concerns relating to the potential of sheep predation persist. Tony Juniper of Natural England has stated that are introduction of lynx “should be looked at” but “we need more engagement to understand how communities that would be living with these animals would be able to continue with what they do”. Paul O’ Donohue, CEO of the Lynx UK Trust, believes that further attempts to engage farmers and stakeholders would be a waste of time, stating “sheep farmers will never change their position on lynx reintroduction, making more calls for more engagement utterly futile”. Meanwhile, Lynx for Scotland, a separate charitable organisation has coordinated a 100page report which seeks to address the concerns of farmers and other stakeholders, they hope to release a substantiated proposal in the future if social and ecological feasibility for lynx reintroduction can be established.
Image by Jon Glitterberg
Environment
Peatland Protection
Danes Moss, a lowland raised bog on the outskirts of Macclesfield, is among the scarcest and most threatened habitats in the UK. The carbon storage capacity of the deep peat is invaluable and the open bogland hosts a biodiverse flora and fauna. With disregard to the habitat’s ecological significance, the peatland continues to be targeted as a site for housing development.
A recent planning application from Cheshire East Council has been withdrawn following a campaign from the Danes Moss Trust. CEC have cited ‘incompatibility with its climate and peatland policy’ as reason for the turnaround. The withdrawal has been positively received but campaigners and stakeholders remain braced for a revised proposal. If passed without amendment, ‘part 3’ of the proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill could make it easier for developers to build on Sites of Special Scientific interest (SSSI) such as this.
The Fens, Cambridgeshire was once Britain’s largest wetland and has been almost completely drained to facilitate traditional ‘dry’ agriculture and the growth of cereal crops. The Great Fen, between Peterborough and Huntington, represents part of a peatland restoration project within the Fen county and along with four other sites across Europe, has been selected for a wet farming or ‘paludiculture’ trial.
Under the project banner of ‘PaluWise’, the wet farming operation will run for four years under close monitoring. It aims to establish whether rewetted peatlands can be agriculturally productive whilst retaining the biodiversity and carbon storage capacity unique to wetlands.
Policy
UN Ocean Summit 2025
Representatives from nearly 200 countries met in Nice, France to discuss marine protection. The summit has culminated in fifty countries ratifying the High Seas Treaty, an international agreement to conserve and sustainably use high seas which lie outside of national jurisdiction. The fast tracking of the treaty has been welcomed as a positive development but significantly China and the US have not agreed to ratify.
Commitments made at the summit represent a small step in the right direction but silence from global superpowers and a litany of feeble sentiments like Emannuel Macron’s announcement that France will “limit” bottom trawling and seek to protect just 4% of its metropolitan waters- shows that we are a far cry from meeting marine protection targets.
A study from Dynamic Planet has suggested that 85 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) would need to be notified every day if there is any chance of meeting the 30 x 30 target (an agreement to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030). This figure increases with every passing day of inaction.
Poole Harbour’s osprey pair have hatched their fourth chick of the year. The only breeding pair of ospreys on the South Coast have laid a clutch of four eggs for the second year running, and the Birds of Poole Harbour charity has announced that the final chick successfully hatched in the past week. In 2022, female CJ7 and male 002 became the first nesting pair on the south coast in 180 years as part of a reintroduction scheme.
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) by Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan, via flickr.
Golden Eagles are spreading their range from southern Scotland into England. Around 50 Golden Eagles have been translocated across Scotland since 2018 in an attempt to save this species amidst major population decline. In the past 7 years, South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project (SSGEP) have successfully translocated 28 juveniles and 15 sub-adult golden eagles from the Scottish Highlands to the Scottish borders. Satellite tagging has revealed that a number of birds are beginning to venture into Northumberland, the North Pennines, the Lake District and even as far south as Lancashire and Yorkshire, offering hope for the future reintroduction of Golden Eagles into England.
Environment
Reservoir projects fast-tracked in an attempt to secure England’s water supplies. Two major new reservoirs in East Anglia and south Lincolnshire have been fast-tracked through the planning process as they are now declared as ‘nationally significant.’ As such, the final decisions for these projects will be taken by Environment Secretary Steve Reed, rather than at a local level, with the aim of securing water supplies for future generations. These stores would provide resilience to future droughts in particularly dry areas of the country where water demand is high, and may be completed by 2036 and 2040 respectively. The water industry has welcomed this announcement, but some communities are concerned about increased bills, as well as the potential clearing of homes and farmland to make way for the necessary infrastructure.
Areas of common ground in the Yorkshire Dales are being restored to their ancient glory. A groundbreaking tree-planting programme is uniting farmers and rewilders alike to bring species back to ‘ghost woodlands’. Howgill Fells had been heavily grazed for hundreds of years, but in just over a decade, an extensive rewilding project has planted 300,000 native trees across common land in 64 acres of sheep-free enclosures. Ecologist Mike Douglas recently conducted his first of four annual surveys monitoring birds in the enclosures. His results have revealed the presence of 11 new breeding bird species since his original survey in the early stages of the project in 2016, and numbers continue to increase year on year.
Policy
Labour have rejected a proposal to provide every new home with at least one swift brick to help endangered cavity-nesting birds. The proposed amendment to the governments Planning and Infrastructure bill requested that every developer provides a single £35 hollow brick for swifts, house martins, sparrows and starlings in every new build home. This was previously supported when it was tabled on Conversative government legislation in 2023, however the current Labour-dominated committee have now stated they are not convinced it is the right approach. A petition calling for these bricks to become mandatory has now reached 80,000, demonstrating the public’s concern on the matter.
Nature-friendly farming fund to be cut in UK spending review. Labour initially promised £5 billion over two years for the post-Brexit farming fund, which will be honoured until 2026, however in the years following it will be slashed in line with wide-scale budget cuts. This nature-friendly initiative replaced the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy and rewards farmers for stewarding nature, soil, and other public goods, rather than solely for land ownership and cultivation. While DEFRA have stated they are planning a new scheme aimed at smaller farms, many larger-scale ones will miss out on these incentives.
Orchidaceae, a family boasting over 28,000 species worldwide, are renowned for their intricate beauty and fascinating adaptations. These perennial plants exhibit a remarkable diversity of forms, even within species, with flowers featuring three sepals and three petals, one of which often forms a distinctive lower lip (the labellum) which is an important identification feature. They rely on diverse pollination methods, often involving intricate relationships with insects and fungi, and are highly specialised to survive in specific habitats.
The UK is home to 57 native orchid species, ranging from common meadow flowers to prized rarities. This blog explores a group of these British orchids and provides information on both their identifying characteristics and distribution in the UK.
Identification: Bird’s-nest Orchids are incredibly distinctive and are named for their unique root system that resembles a bird’s nest. They have no leaves, and do not have chlorophyll, so they rely on nutrients provided by mycorrhizal fungi in the soil.
The cylindrical spike grows up to 50cm in height and can carry up to 100 yellow-brown flowers that smell like honey. The sepals and upper petals are short and form a fan-shaped hood at the top of the flower. At the base is a broad, long lobe that is forked in the middle, and at the base of this lip is a shallow cup of nectar which is used to attract small insects for fertilisation.
Distribution: This species has a scattered distribution throughout the UK but is locally common in southern England and Northern Ireland. Bird’s-nest Orchids can be found in mature woodland, especially those with beech and Yew, in southern England and typically flower from early May to late June.
Identification: This distinctive orchid has two variations: early flowering and late flowering forms, which exhibit subtle differences in flower colour. This orchid is conical to cylindrical in shape and features densely packed, deep-purple flower buds. These flowers have dark purple-red sepals and pale petals, including a four lobed white lip with red-purple spots.
Early Flowering Form: Grows up to 10cm tall, with a closely packed flower spike bearing up to 50 small flowers. The sepals and upper petals form a tight, darkly coloured hood, which appears red-brown when the flowers first open and quickly fades as the bud matures. It has a long white lip with two rounded side lobes, and a bluntly forked central lobe. Early flowering forms have a strong, sweet scent and are pollinated by flies.
Late Flowering Form: Typically found between 8 and 15cm in height. Late flowering form flowers have shorter, blunter lobes and the red colouring on the hood remains strong even with maturity. The edges of the lip are usually flushed with colour, which can spread over the whole lip in some cases.
Distribution: Formerly widespread throughout the UK but has undergone declines in the north and midlands. It is now found in a few localities, mainly in southern England, on chalk and limestone grassland and meadows. Early flowering forms bloom mid May to mid June. Later flowering forms bloom late June to early August.
Identification: Greater Butterfly Orchids can grow up to 60cm in height. The plant consists of a tall spike of up to 40 greenish-white flowers in a loose cluster. The overall flower structure is similar to Lesser Butterfly Orchids and has ovate lateral sepals with a wavy edge like the wings of a butterfly. The upper sepal and petals form a broad, green-white hood and a long, translucent lip has a green tip. At the base of the stem, there are two large, shiny leaves that are blue green in colour and elliptical in shape.
Distribution: Widespread throughout the UK, but most common in southern England. Found in meadows, open scrub, grassland and ancient woodland on chalk grassland or calcareous soil. Flowers from late May to late July, where they emit a powerful scent at night and are pollinated by moths.
Identification: Up to 70cm in height, the spike is either pyramidal or cylindrical in shape and can host up to 70 flowers at a time, all various shades of pink, purple and on occasion, white.
The flowers are slightly scented and are pollinated by a range of insects but are particularly attractive to day-flying moths. They have a three lobed lip with a larger, more triangular central lobe that is marked with a pattern of dark pink spots and stripes. The lateral sepals are spreading, and dorsal sepals and upper petals form a loose hood at the top of the flower. All petals and sepals are marked with dark pink lines and dots. It has spotted, narrow basal leaves that form a rosette at ground level.
Distribution: One of the most common and widespread orchids in the UK, but is absent from much of Cornwall, Devon and northern Scotland. They can be found in a range of habitats, including woodland, dry grassland, wet meadows, marshes, man-made road verges and railway embankments. Common-spotted Orchids can be found in flower from mid-May to early August.
Identification: This species is named for the pyramid shape of its flower spike during early growth stages, before it matures into an elongated, cylindrical shape. The flower spike grows up to 60cm in height and is densely flowered with up to 100 flowers at a time. These can be pale pink, to reddish pink in colour and have a sweet vanilla-like scent. The lower lip is divided into three lobes, which can vary in shape, and the sepals and upper petals form a tight hood over the flower. Pyramidal Orchids have up to four grey-green, narrow basal leaves.
Distribution: Common and widespread in England and Wales. It can be found on grassland and sand dunes on chalk and limestone soils, and grows well on human-made habitats, including road verges and roundabouts.
Identification: These distinctive plants have a flower that resembles the body of a bumblebee – a pattern that has since lost significance in the UK, so this species relies on self-pollination.
It grows between 10-50cm in height, and each plant can develop up to seven good-sized flowers. At the base of the stem, there is a rosette of five to six grey green basal leaves – these sit at ground level and have two sheathing leaves that grow upwards on the stem. The distinctive, velvety lip has three lobes – the central section is slightly convex and the side lobes form two small humps. It is rich maroon to purple-brown in colour, with grey and pale-yellow markings. The three wing-like sepals are pink and have a central green vein. Upper petals are brown and cylindrical in shape, forming the antennae of the bee.
Distribution: Found throughout Britain, although scarce in Cornwall, north Devon and Scotland. Bee Orchids can be found on dry chalk and limestone grasslands, calcareous dunes and roadsides or waste ground. Flowers from early June to late July.
Identification: This fascinating species has evolved to resemble an insect in order to attract pollinators. Fly Orchids can grow up to 60cm in height and can bear up to 15 flowers on a spindly stem. The flower has a velvety texture and is dark purplish brown in colour with an iridescent blue band in the middle of the lip. The lip is long, with two short side lobes, and a central lobe that is notched at the bottom. At the base, there are two coloured patches that resemble eyes, with the same velvety texture. The flower has three sepals that are pointed, yellow green in colour and stiff. The thin upper petals are dark purple or brown and resemble antennae.
Fly Orchids typically have three to four dark green basal leaves, that are shiny on the surface and have blunt tips.
Distribution: Widespread throughout the UK, but populations are declining and are fairly scattered in northern England and north Wales due to habitat loss. Fly Orchids can be found in deciduous open woodland, open scrub, grassland, quarries and roadside banks on chalk and limestone soils, and flowers from May to early June.
Identification: A distinctive purple flower on a tall spike. Early Purple Orchids can grow up to 60cm in height, and are easily recognisable by their pink-purple flowers and spotted leaves. The flower spike is oval or cylindrical, carries up to fifty flowers at once on a dense cone-shaped cluster, and has darkly spotted, glossy basal leaves that form a rosette on the ground.
Their sepals spread upwards, and the lip is broad with three lobes and lightly crinkled edges. The centre of this broad lip is paler in colour, and features darker coloured spots over the surface. Upper petals and sepals form a hood at the top of the flower, which has a sweet honey-like scent, that quickly turns unpleasant (likened to tomcat urine) as the flower matures. Flowers do not produce nectar and are pollinated by a variety of bees.
Distribution: Early Purple Orchids can be found throughout the UK, with very scattered groups or complete absence in some regions due to habitat loss and agricultural management. These orchids are found mainly on chalk and limestone soils, in woodland, grassland, rocky cliffs, road verges and embankments. Flowers first appear in spring, typically from early April to early June.
Identification: Common Twayblades can be readily identified by a pair of broad, round or egg-shaped basal leaves that are flush to the ground. The hairy flower spike can grow up to 50cm in height and contains up to 100 clustered, green flowers that are likened to small people – the upper petals and sepals form a hood over a long, yellowish-green forked lip which resemble legs. They have a slightly musky scent and are pollinated by small insects including wasps, beetles and sawflies.
Distribution: Common and widely distributed throughout the UK. Common Twayblades can be found on grassland, deciduous woodland, dune slacks, road verges and chalky soils. Flowers from late April to early August.
A magnificent work combining close to 100 illustrative plates with over 1,000 colour photos to cover all orchid species, subspecies and varieties, as well as hybrids, at all stages of development.
Presents the first comprehensive overview of all named orchid taxa from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, covering etymology, flowering period, habitat, geographical distribution and more for each taxon.
With colour paintings covering 69 species, subspecies and hybrids, this 12-panel chart covers all the orchids that are likely to be seen in Great Britain (including the Channel Islands) and Ireland.
Can you tell us how the British Mycological Society began and what its mission is today?
