Friday 14th February marks the start of National Nest Box Week. With widespread population declines due to habitat loss and urbanisation, National Nest Box Week presents us with the perfect opportunity to provide habitat for local birds, boosting breeding success and contributing to the enhancement of biodiversity in our green spaces.
Mid-February marks the start of the breeding season for many British bird species, with many beginning to actively seek new territory and suitable nesting sites. Nest Box Week is a great time to install a new nest box or do some maintenance on any existing boxes. By providing artificial nesting sites, we can assist species such as Robins, House Sparrows, and Swifts, while simultaneously raising public awareness about the diverse range of birds that benefit from these resources.
Image by Vine House Farm via Flickr
Here are some ways to get involved in National Nest Box Week:
Install a nest box in an outside space, garden or balcony
Plant native flora and provide access to fresh, clean water to keep your garden bird-friendly
Support bird conservation organisations by donating, volunteering or sharing their work
Encourage friends and family to get involved in supporting their local wildlife
Garden Bird Species
Robins are a familiar sight in UK gardens and are easily recognised by their bright red breast and cheerful song. They prefer open-fronted nest boxes, often tucked away in hedges or shrubs, to mimic their natural nesting preferences in sheltered crevices and vegetation.
Blue tits are small, vibrant birds common across the UK that are often seen flitting through gardens and woodlands. They prefer small, enclosed nest boxes, hung high to mimic their natural nesting sites in tree cavities.
With their distinctive yellow beak and melodious song, Blackbirds are a common sight in various habitats across the UK. They prefer open-fronted nest boxes, at a slightly higher location, tucked away amongst dense vegetation or climbing plants for added security.
Common in UK gardens and urban areas, Sparrows prefer nest boxes with a small entrance hole, placed high up on walls or under the eaves of houses, mimicking their natural nesting sites in crevices and holes in buildings.
Why is National Nest Box Week important?
Increasing urbanisation, human development and changing land-use have had devastating impacts on bird populations in the UK. A loss of natural nesting habitats has introduced extra challenges for rearing young, and nest boxes provide nesting birds with vital habitat to rear chicks – helping to mitigate the impacts of habitat loss which is essential for supporting local bird populations.
Find a selection of nest box blogs on the Conservation Hub, including:
Flea and tick treatments are contaminating songbird nests. A recent study surveyed 103 tit nests that utilised pet fur in construction, and found that 100% were contaminated with fipronil, a chemical component of pet flea and tick treatments that is banned for agricultural use in the UK and the EU. Contaminated nests were found to have an increased number of unhatched eggs and dead chicks, placing significant pressure on breeding bird populations. The findings have led to calls for a thorough environmental risk assessment of veterinary treatments, and to consider restricting their use as a preventative measure to an active treatment.
The Arctic carbon sink is now a source of emissions, a new study concludes. Rising temperatures in the Arctic landscape are facilitating the release of vast amounts of carbon dioxide, which is currently stored in the region’s permafrost, and over 40% of this is now significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions in the context of global warming. The effects of rising temperatures are also reflected by visual changes in the landscape – ground collapse, increased plant growth, microbial domination – and changes in the carbon cycle in the region.
Environment
Wales’ plan to reverse wildlife decline lacks plan, action and investment according to Senedd’s cross-party environment committee.A recent report identified several shortcomings that have impacted the Welsh government’s ability to tackle nature loss and boost biodiversity. These include legislation that failed to deliver, outdated key policy documents, a broken promise to update the Nature Recovery Action Plan, and a history of delays, undelivered commitments, and missed deadlines. With 1 in 6 species at risk of local extinction in Wales, and a 20% decrease in wildlife over the last three decades, the committee urged the Welsh government to prioritise setting targets to address biodiversity loss by 2030, bringing Wales in-line with previously agreed biodiversity commitments.
One in six Welsh species are threatened with local extinction. Image by Antje Schultner via Flickr
The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has published a report on the prospect of the UK meeting its environmental targets and commitments. The third OEP assessment analysed the government’s current progress towards improving the country’s natural environment between April 2023 and March 2024, and determined that the UK remains off track in meeting legal commitments due to slow progress and a loss of momentum. Key issues identified were as follows: policy or regulatory frameworks are not adequately developed or delivered; actions do not address all major pressures; inadequate resource provision and a lack of urgency. To tackle this, the report concluded that the UK government should speed up, scale up, stack up and catch-up actions to make adequate progress.
Wildlife and Conservation
A Greater Mouse-eared Bat (Mytosis mytosis) has been discovered in Sussex. In mid-January 2025, a breeding female Greater Mouse-eared Bat was found hibernating in the South Downs National Park, marking the first identification of a new female since the 1980s. This species was declared extinct in the UK in 1992 following decades of species decline, however two male sightings, one in 2002 and one in 2023 suggested the potential for their return in the future. Conservationists have ringed the newly discovered female to allow for future identification, monitoring and research, with the hope of discovering an established breeding population in Britain.
Galicia’s shellfish stocks are declining at an alarming rate. Europe’s primary source of mussels, and the world’s second largest producer of shellfish, has seen a dramatic fall in cockles, clams and mussels. In 2023, cockles crop fell by as much as 80% and last year, mussel production was at its lowest for the last 25 years with some stocks falling by 90%. It is thought that the climate crisis and pollution from agriculture and local industry are at the root cause of this catastrophic decline, with increased rainfall reducing the salinity of the water and invasive species attracted to rising water temperatures.
Brown Trout survival is at serious risk as English rivers warm with climate change. A Government report suggests that these native fish are at risk of extinction in large parts of England within decades. The first national temperature projections by the Environment Agency forecast an unliveable environment at the height of summer by 2030. Brown Trout have a temperature threshold of around 12°C, above which there is a significant risk of egg mortality, small hatching sizes and development defects. For adult fish, this increased temperature could also amplify the impact of pollutants and an individual’s susceptibility to pathogens.
Although the term was initially coined in the 1990s, ‘rewilding’ has come to dominate conservation thinking in the last fifteen years. This seemingly paradigmatic shift was consequent of a growing perception that a vision of planetary future should not merely appease a bare minimum criterion for ecological longevity. Instead, conservationists should envision an ecologically prosperous future that supersedes the conditions of the present or the recent past. Many of the initiatives enacted under the banner of ‘rewilding’ may be seen as the attempted actualisation of this vision.
Six years have passed since Citizen Zoo’s original Rewilding Symposium in 2019. This period has seen a rapid acceleration in the global recognition of rewilding alongside the now widespread presence of rewilding initiatives. The growth and support of the rewilding movement has coincided, of course, with the continued acceleration of global biodiversity loss and the increasingly unignorable impacts of anthropogenic climate change. The common philosophy across the sometimes-disparate presentations of participants was that the process of actively reinstating biodiversity is inextricably tied to the viability of our planetary future.
Rewilding Futures played host to a globally diverse set of speakers from organisations including Rewilding Chile; Rewilding Europe; Rewilding Britain; Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique), Blue Marine Foundation; The Wildlife Trusts and Rewilding Argentina.
This year, the University of Cambridge played host to the conference, bringing together leading voices to tackle pivotal issues in the field and discuss the future of rewilding in the coming decades. Key highlights for me were as follows:
Carnivore Reintroductions
Luigi Boitaniasked, ‘What role for wolves in Europe?’ – a fascinating presentation which argued for the conservation status and continued legal protection of wolves across the continent. The recovery of the species has been successful across swathes of Europe, and this has raised questions of the potential down listing of the species. Most interestingly, the presentation pulled into question the oft perceived justification for wolf reintroduction – their capacity to create a trophic cascade of top-down ecological restoration. The speaker argued that this justification has been historically overstated in the same way that their potential to prey on livestock has been underplayed. For Boitani, we must acknowledge that our desire for the presence of wolves is based on our perception of the species’ intrinsic value and simultaneously the real concerns about livestock predation must be mitigated.
A presentation from Scotland: The Big Pictureprovided a summary of their efforts in working towards a reintroduction of Eurasian Lynx in Scotland. Similarly to Boitani’s consideration of wolves in Europe, they also acknowledged that the carnivore’s potential to prey on livestock has been understated by previous groups who have lobbied for lynx reintroduction. Most importantly, Scotland: The Big Picture acknowledged the necessity of garnering support from stakeholders who may be impacted by the presence of lynx. The organisation’s more clearheaded approach to the possibility of lynx reintroduction in Scotland marked a stark contrast to the mysterious and illegal releases in the Cairngorms which preceded the conference.
Perhaps the most contentious presentation of the event came from the Colossal Foundation– a Texan initiative that claims they are enacting a process of Thylacine ‘de-extinction’. A mandated project will see the Tasmanian Tiger, extinct since 1936, re-animated and playing a significant role in future Tasmanian ecology. This, alongside their programme of Woolly Mammoth ‘de-extinction’, could be perceived as representing the boldest outreaches of the rewilding movement. Pragmatists within the conference raised concerns about the detrimental implications that this unprecedented project, the mandate of which transcends ordinary legal barriers to reintroduction, could have on Tasmanian ecology.
Land for rewilding: Legal mechanisms and Ownership
The Lifescape Projectoffered an analysis ofthelegal mechanisms used to secure land for long-term rewilding, such as conservation covenants in England and conservation burdens in Scotland. Their talk Using Novel Legal Mechanisms to Secure Land for Rewilding: Lessons from across UK and Europeoutlined the ways in which various mechanisms allow or impede the long-term dedication of land for rewilding. Utilising cross comparison case studies from across Europe, this talk encouraged innovative and collaborative approaches to improving land use legislation.
Similarly, Ted Theisinger’sworkshop To Own and Control: The Future of Land Governance Structures in Scotland and Beyondpresented an interesting consideration of the future of conservation in Scotland. Scotland is one of the most depleted terrestrial landscapes and simultaneously has one of the most concentrated structures of land ownership in the world. Throughout the workshop, participants considered the ways in which existing legislative instruments define the parameters of conservation within the context of Scottish land ownership. The workshop oriented toward imagining a future where non-human voices were interwoven into considerations of what to do with our lands and seas.
Among the many intriguing discussions of individual sites where rewilding is enacted was Andrew Osborne’shistorical ecology of Chat Moss, a 36km square area of lowland raised bog in Salford. The presentation traced the history of Chat Moss over the last 200 years, including industrial habitat destruction which resulted in a significant loss of flora and fauna in the area. The talk highlighted the work of restoration projects dating back to the 1980s, driven by the imperative to preserve carbon stored in the peat and encourage carbon sequestration. Consequentially, the last forty years have seen the translocations of many species into the area, including the recent reintroduction of the Large Heath Butterfly (Coenonympha tullia).
Marine Rewilding
Another highlight was theBlue Marine Foundation’spresentation Rewilding the Seas: A modern odyssey of hope and challenge. Charles Clover outlined the work of the Blue Marine Foundationand looked to answer the question: why rewild the sea, which in comparison to land, is seemingly already wild? The presentation argued that the principles of sea rewilding are essentially the same as that of land, to bring back lost and depleted species to our oceans and restore ecosystems that have been harmed by human activities?– simply by stepping back and letting nature repair the damage, or by reintroducing species/ restoring habitats.
While aspects of rewilding remain deeply contentious and there continues to be a vast diversity in perspectives of what rewilding should and could be, the most substantial thematic takeaway is that rewilding has galvanised people in a way that traditional conservation approaches have not.
In 2025, the impacts of anthropogenic climate change and unprecedented biodiversity loss are met with deterministically inactive governing bodies across the globe. In many ways things seem more hopeless than ever before, yet actors within the conservation field understand that without hope there can be no inspiration for change.
The revolutionary potential of the rewilding movement has come to represent the last beacon of hope for a viable future for people and nature – a possible catalyst for change.
Water Vole populations are undergoing a national decline in the UK. A new report from the Wildlife Trusts, The National Water Vole Database Project Report, was released last month to document the findings of a nationwide investigation examining Water Vole distribution over the past ten years. Although the report documented a 39% decrease in the number of occupied areas across the UK, it also identified a further 11 new regional key areas of increasing local populations, including several in East Anglia and Yorkshire. The report reveals a bleak national picture with declines across the country due to habitat loss and deterioration, but shows that in the right conditions, and with the help of conservation practitioners, it is possible to reverse their historic decline.
Conservationists have observed active worker bumblebees nest-building in Scotland during the winter months. Unusually mild weather during the Christmas period has led to early awakening from hibernation, and at least two species have started to build new nests early in the winter season. However, the subsequent return of cold weather and the scarcity of winter food sources pose a significant threat to these early nests, risking their collapse. In this instance, fewer queens would be available to build nests in the spring and could contribute to the national decline of bumblebees.
Conservation
The National Trust has announced plans to create 250,000 hectares of biodiverse landscape. Equivalent to 1.5 times the size of Greater London, these nature-rich landscapes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will address a current national need and are estimated to provide habitat for 1 billion earthworms. Labelled audacious yet achievable, this goal will be actioned on Trust properties, but also in partnership with other organisations, farmers and communities, to create larger tracts of landscape to tackle the climate and nature crises.
Last week, Lynx were reported in the Cairngorms National Park. A total of four animals were illegally released and subsequently captured by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RSS), where they were taken to be quarantined at Highland Wildlife Park (later one sadly died). The source of these animals remains unknown, but experts have raised concerns about the nature of their release – these animals were released in sub-zero temperatures within areas of logging activity, which has been deemed a highly irresponsible action that has drawn criticism from conservationists.
Climate Crisis
2024 marks the first calendar year to surpass the 1.5°C warming limit. Now thought to be the world’s hottest year on record, 2024 has brought the world closer to breaking the international warming target of 1.5°C – although this target is based on long-term temperature averages, last year’s trends signify an upturn in global temperature, with the last decade being the warmest on record. Predominantly due to harmful greenhouse gas emissions, which are still at record highs, this record is met with calls for cuts in emissions over this calendar year.
The UK generated its cleanest electricity ever in 2024, with 58% from low-carbon sources. The amount of electricity generated from fossil fuels has halved in the past decade, with the UK having seen an upturn in the use of renewable energy sources. In the past twelve months, renewables have generated 45% of the UK’s power, and when including nuclear sources, this number totals to 58%. Despite this, fossil fuels are still generating approximately 29% of electricity in the UK, and in order to meet climate and emission targets experts are urging for an accelerated phase out.
Finance
In a ‘landmark’ deal, the world’s first private sector loan based on biodiversity net gain unit models has been granted. Triodos Bank UK has loaned £3.85m to environmental consultancy Nature Impact – the money will be used to purchase a total of 122 acres over two sites, unlocking degraded farmland for biodiversity net gain. These degraded sites will undergo restoration and habitat creation, including native wildflower meadows and wetlands, to enhance their support of British wildlife and climate goals.
Ecologists at Oxford University have designed a new framework to classify how a unit of nature is defined for biodiversity credits. In the review, researchers acknowledge the lack of clarity on how one unit of nature is defined, or how measurements are standardised, and demonstrated the challenges involved with the biodiversity credit market. It presents a framework exploring how biodiversity is quantified, how positive outcomes are detected and how the number of credits can be adjusted to account for uncertainties. The authors caution against biodiversity credits to offset negative impacts, and instead direct focus on avoiding and reducing these factors.
Tasmania’s farmers are helping to conserve native grassland. These critically endangered habitats have undergone widespread deterioration due to historical agricultural practices, and remaining patches are degraded and fragmented throughout the state. An innovative partnership between landowners, the Tasmanian Conservancy and Bush Heritage Australia – the Midlands Conservation Partnership (MCP) – was formed to conserve and protect native grassland on private property through empowering farmers to manage their land sustainably.
A growing number of zoos across the globe are reporting animal death by avian influenza.The virus appears to be spreading throughout captive animal collections, which could have grave, and potentially fatal, consequences for endangered species – already,zoos have reported deaths of a number of threatened species, including lions, tigers and panthers. It is thought to have been spread through infected wild birds landing in open air enclosures, and experts emphasise the need for enhanced biosecurity, or vaccination, to ensure the safety of captive animals.
A leading wildlife expert is calling for the legalisation of rhino horn trade. Martin Wikelski wrote to the journal Science, urging authorities to take the market out of criminal hands, in order toestablish carefully monitored, legal transactions and regain control of the market. Wikelski argues that monitored trade could help to raise money for increased protective measures and save the last remaining populations, since crime syndicates have overcome every countermeasure that has been implemented to protect rhinos thus far.
Twenty-seven species new to science have been discovered in a survey in Peru. A 38-day survey in Alto Mayo, a well-populated region in north-west Peru, has uncovered over 2,000 species of wildlife and plants, including new, rare and threatened species. Of these species previously unknown to science, there are four mammals, an arboreal salamander, seven species of new fish, a frog, ten butterflies and two dung beetles – and a further 48 species are awaiting verification before confirming their discovery. Alongside these exciting new discoveries, the expedition identified 49 threatened species from the IUCN Red List, including birds, amphibians and primates, and it is hoped that these discoveries will bolster conservation work in the region.
Image by NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries via Flickr
A recent study has discovered that right whales may live almost twice as long as previously thought. Four decades of photo identification data was used to analyse the life expectancy ofNorthern Atlantic Right Whales and Southern Right Whales. Researchers observed a life expectancy of up to 150 years for Southern Right Whales, and a contrasting 22-year average for North Atlantic Right Whales – primarily due to anthropogenic impacts, including entanglement in fishing gear, ship collisions or starvation which could be linked to environmental change.Authors plan to expand the scope of the study to examine other whale populations, in order to learn more about how whaling practices have impacted the abundance of older individualsand allow for estimates of recovery to pre-whaling population sizes.
Wildlife
Data shows that almost three quarters of the UK’s Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI’s) have had no assessment of their condition since the start of 2019. These sites consist of ecologically valuable habitats, wildlife and natural features, and are legally protected to prevent environmental degradation. In the last assessment, nearly 40% of features were in unfavourable condition, and without further monitoring, conservationists warn that British wildlife could be disappearing unnoticed. In response, a long-term programme is being developed by Natural England to determine SSSI assessment, as well as making improvements to monitoring and data use.
Over 6,000 wild bird eggs have been seized in the UK. In the largest haul of it’s kind, raids from Scotland, South Yorkshire, Essex, Wales and Gloucester uncovered thousands of wild bird eggs in attics, offices and drawers. The raids took place under Operation Pulka – an international effort tackling wildlife crime, especially the trading of bird eggs. Harvesting by egg collectors is placing additional pressures on already threatened and rare wildlife, and for species with a limited geographic range, could be the difference between existence and extinction.
An area larger than India has permanentlydegraded into arid conditions, research shows. Studies by the UN Science Policy Interface have reported that up to three quarters of the world’s land has experienced likely irreversible drying in the past thirty years and now, arid drylands make up 40% of land on earth. Driven by climate change, poor farming practices, excessive water extraction and many other factors, this drying could see significant decreases in crop yield, GDP,and a reduction in the capacity of the land to store water.
A two-year restoration project in Avon Heath Country Park will help to restore a rare habitat. Funded by Defra, £1.2 million will be used to restore this Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) that is home to 2.5% of the world’sremaining lowland heathland. The 210-hectare site provides key habitat for all of Britain’s native reptiles, including Smooth Snakes and ground-nesting birds such as Woodlarks and Nightjars. Restoration work will involve the removal of invasive rhododendron, scrub and pine trees to rejuvenate the heathland and increase the availability of light for low-lying plants.
Conservation
A recent survey has shown that Grey Squirrels are invading Red Squirrel strongholds. Conducted by Red Squirrels Northern England (RSNE), the survey assessed 246 sites for an annual squirrel check. The survey found a rising presence of Grey Squirrels in Red Squirrel strongholds, a trend described as ‘concerning’ by RSNE project officers. These invasive, non-native species were found in 69% of surveyed sites, a 6.8% increase from last year and are now outnumbering Red Squirrels in Cumbria and Northumberland. However, RSNEsuccessfully recorded a 2% increase of Red Squirrels in survey sites, up from 50% in 2023.
Cutting-edge technology is being used to inform forestry management in the UK. Forestry England is employing bioacoustic technology, environmental DNA (eDNA) and drones to inform conservation efforts across multiple sites. EDNA gathered from soil, air and water is being used to build a better picture of community composition across 21 forestry sites, and after four months of sampling, 5,000 unique fungal species and 1,000 invertebrate species have been identified. Bioacoustic datais alsobeing gathered across four areas in Somerset, Dorset, Northumberland and North Yorkshire and will be used to track bumblebee activity through analysis of flight sound. This detailed data will be used to form a new biodiversity baseline to monitor the effectiveness of conservation effortsin the midst of biodiversity decline and climate change.
Angela Rayner has been met with criticism following an interview discussing Labour’s housing pledge. With plans to build 1.5 million homes and fast-track over 150 major infrastructure projects, wildlife protection may take a back seat. Rayner expressed concern for those who desperately need housing, stating thatproviding homes in the UK should not be sacrificed for wildlife protection. Despite critics deemingthe targets ‘unrealistic’, Rayner assured that compliance with national building plans would be mandatory under Labour’s National Planning Policy Framework.
Vital scrubland habitats are at risk following Labour’s announcement to build on grey belt land. Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has pledged to build 1.5 million homes on redefined green belt land, known as grey belt land. With what some call a ‘vague definition’ of grey belt land, swathes of countryside could be sacrificed for housing developments, in areas that could have been transformed to woodland or wetland habitats. This traditional landscape is vital for wildlife, including birds, reptiles and amphibians, and could prove essential in meeting 30×30 targets.
The Field Studies Council has been educating the public on Britain’s natural environment for 70 years, and its publications have played a vital part in making nature more accessible. Three generations of wildlife enthusiasts and conservation professionals have learned about the UK’s plants and animals through Field Studies Council courses and honed their skills with Field Studies Council publications.
We recently had the opportunity to speak with Dr Rebecca Farley-Brown, Head of Publications at the Field Studies Council, about the many courses they run, how they develop their identification guides, their exciting new projects for the New Year and more.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what your role within the Field Studies Council entails?
Dr Rebecca Farley-Brown, Head of Field Studies Council Publications
My role within the Field Studies Council is Head of Publications, based in our warehouse in Telford. I started out in academic research and lecturing before moving to Field Studies Council in 2000. As well as business and product development, I manage the postal sales team that processes orders for our retailers as well as our e-commerce shop. It’s a busy role – every year we mail out over 145,000 guides and aim to publish at least four new ones. We also develop commissioned guides to support citizen science projects.
Developing identification guides is a key part of what we do – for those that take the first step of peering into the garden in search of butterflies and bees on flowerheads, through to guides for enthusiasts, fieldworkers and scientists.I am lucky to have a job which can make a difference, and successful identification is fundamental to survey work and biological recording – if we can’t name it, we can’t protect it.
Founded in 1943, Field Studies Council aims to facilitate an array of opportunities for people to learn about nature, which includes field or outdoor educational classes, residential and day centres, natural history courses and more. How large is your operation and what can be expected from one of your courses?
We have a network of 11 residential field centres and seven day centres across the UK, where we welcome over 100,000 learners from schools, colleges and universities every year. There is no substitute for first-hand experiences in nature, and our charity gives learners a special opportunity to see and explore natural landscapes for themselves. There are wider benefits too – being outdoors is good for mental health and wellbeing.
Our teams provide over 200 natural history courses a year, taking place online or in stunning locations. Whether you’re learning online at a pace that suits you, or in-person gaining practical hands-on experience, all of our courses are led by expert tutors who have a wealth of knowledge, and participants often leave feeling very inspired.
Natural history course participants learning how to identify dragonflies and damselflies
There is always a large demand for professional skills courses from those within the environmental job sector, including topics like habitat surveying, protected species, and understanding Biodiversity Net Gain. Alongside this, we get a lot of enthusiasts and students who are looking to improve identification skills for biological recording and knowledge to further their careers. As an example, our two-and-a-half day ‘Bats: Ecology, Surveying, and Conservation’ course will see you explore areas around our field centre in Shrewsbury. It offers hands-on experience with equipment such as bat detectors, where you will complete a bat survey and analyse the results. Plus, if you’re staying with us overnight, you can have a chilled catch-up with other like-minded people in the evening.
The charity has been creating Field Studies Council identification guides for many years, with a catalogue of over 200 guides to date. These resources cover a vast range of topics from plants and fungi to mammals and insects – can you share with us how you decide which subjects to focus on?
We try to keep an overview of what guides we have, where there are gaps and what needs updating. We had fungi marked as a potential area for a few years, but struggled to find an author until we started working with fungi expert Geoffrey Kibby in 2023, and we now have three WildID guides to distinctive fungi which have been really popular this autumn.
We also think about levels – people need different types of guides depending on their knowledge and experience. Someone starting to look at local wildlife might be happy to know they have found a grasshopper, whereas the enthusiasts and recorders will want to identify it to species level.
That being said, some keys are a challenge to develop and might not make it through to publication. We like to thoroughly test our guides with a range of people, including experts in the subject to make sure they are accurate and useful.
From beginners to experts, we make guides suitable for all skill levels.
Each guide is beautifully produced and printed, featuring numerous detailed illustrations to aid reliable identification. What process do you go through when selecting an expert illustrator for each guide?
We’re lucky to have good working relationships with several artists, so we have a regular group we tend to use, some of whom are experts in their field too. Sometimes we can reuse existing artwork such as Richard Lewington’s butterflies and dragonflies – the detail on these is exquisite and so accurate, even down to wing venation.
Other times we might need to commission new illustrations, and it is always good to see these develop. Lizzie Harper does many of our plant illustrations, and we recently worked with her on the Waterside Plants WildID guide. Once we have decided on the species and the features that need illustrating, Lizzie will produce sketches that the final artwork will be based on – it’s always an exciting moment when these arrive!
Suddenly you can start to visualise the finished guide. This is the time to check the details. Are any modifications needed? Are there particular features, such as hairs, that need to be brought out in the final painting? All of this is discussed, and then we sit back and wait for the finished artwork to arrive. Lizzie has a lovely blog on her website, which gives an insight into how she develops her artwork.
Our selection of new fungi WildID guides feature beautiful illustrations and have been very popular this autumn.
What are some of the challenges that the charity has faced over the past few years, and what are your hopes for the future of the Field Studies Council going forward?
One of the biggest challenges was COVID-19 – lockdown meant that our field centres were closed, and the majority of staff were placed on furlough. But it was also an opportunity, and sales of the wildlife guides flourished as more people had time to spend outdoors exploring.
During this period, we also developed a couple of online natural history courses. These proved extremely popular, and over time we’ve increased our range to over 44 topics which we run every year. Feedback on these showed that it was a fantastic way for people to learn about nature from their own home, especially with time restrictions or accessibility constraints.
We hope to continue to increase the variety of online training we offer; while improving accessibility, we will also be mirroring these topics in our practical field-based courses to offer progression routes.
With 2025 just around the corner, are there any exciting new projects on the horizon that we can hear about?
We are always working on new guides. Some are still a few years away from completion, but a guide to raptors in flight is nearly finished and an AIDGAP guide to micro ladybirds and another fungi guide are planned for 2025. We also have a sedges guide in development, which will hopefully be progressing to the layout stage next year.
We’re also thinking about beetles, and working on another introductory guide series to common wildlife that we hope to launch in the spring.
We have over 100 WildID guides to choose from, covering everything from lichens to ladybirds.
Deforestation in the Amazon has fallen by 31%, marking a nine-year low. Despite this, deforestation is still a concern for Brazil, and an area the size of Delaware was cleared within the last year. The Amazon is facing a different set of pressures as climate change progresses – severe drought has contributed to a significant 18-fold surge in wildfires, which is impacting much of South America, including the biologically rich Pantanal in Brazil.
One of Britain’s rare mammals has been found in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. As an element of the park’s Cysylltu Natur project, which aims to protect 25% of the park’s northern section by 2025, dormouse nesting tubes were placed along areas of woodland on site. Licensed volunteers have discovered that dormice have inhabited the boxes, resulting in an exciting milestone in boosting nature recovery for the park.
Conservation
Two sites on the rivers Wear and Tyne are under consideration for saltmarsh restoration. Groundwork North East & Cumbria have applied for permission to undertake work in these areas to compensate for construction along the riverbank and heavy industrialisation in the area. The work will expand and restore existing habitat without removing waterside infrastructure – this restoration will slow the river flow and allowing sediment to build, in turn providing habitat for fish, invertebrates and other aquatic life.
The first of fourty-eight Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) has been developed for the West of England. The strategies are conceived by local authorities, communities, NGO’s and government agencies to identify focus areas for nature. These locally led, evidence-based plans were conceived to prioritise nature investment and target efforts for environmental restoration where it is needed most. LNRS’s will eventually be rolled out to cover all of England, helping to coordinate target action to meet biodiversity commitments.
Cairngorms National Park has launched an initiative to save one of Scotland’s most threatened tree species – Aspen. Partnered with Trees for Life, the Cairngorms National Park Authority will be mapping the health and location of existing Aspen populations, and the data will be used to guide the planting of new trees within the forest. Deemed one of Scotland’s most vital native trees, this once-common species has undergone extreme declines due to deforestation and overgrazing. It is hoped that the project can be used as a blueprint to roll out Aspen conservation across Scotland, securing biodiversity benefits for the environment.
Policy
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has revealed new climate targets for the UK. Announced at COP29 in Azerbaijan, the UK will now aim for 81% reductions in emissions by 2035. This new target updates a previous pledge of 78% made by the Conservative government, and comes after recommendations from the UK’s Climate Change Committee. This new pledge will help to support the UK’s move to net zero by 2050, and although the UK is currently running behind on delivering cuts, this new target will provide local economic growth and investment.
The Environmental Audit Committee will be examining the environmental impact of Labour’s planning reforms. This inquiry comes after an early pledge to build 1.5 million homes over a five year period. To do this, there are proposed changes to the national planning policy framework, which would enable the government to release land for housing development. The inquiry will question whether these reforms can maintain current levels of environmental protection, and is seeking views on the implications of these reforms on nature and the climate.
Protected Species and Biodiversity: A Guide for Planners and Ecologists is a comprehensive, accessible book that collates every key element required to gather and interpret survey data for protected species.
Progressing through individual species and group tables, and providing information on planning systems, biodiversity, government guidance and its interpretation, how to secure better quality data, biodiversity net gain and more, this guide also codifies what a planner can expect from an ecologist to ensure the effective safeguarding of protected species. As such, it is an essential reference guide for planners and ecological consultants alike.
Dr. Tim Reed has had a lifelong interest in the use of data quality and survey methods as a basis for credible decision-making by those whose actions influence landscapes and protected areas. This has included developing survey methods for waders on moorland, standardising nature reserve management plan formats, chairing development groups for national-level databases, and collaborating with the EU on data standards for directives. Over the past 20 years, Tim has helped major worldwide corporate companies establish biodiversity as part of their risk-management processes, while also working on public inquiries across the UK.
We recently had the opportunity to chat to Tim about what inspired him to write a book aimed at planners and ecologists, how Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) could potentially affect protected species across the UK, the importance of technological advancements in accurate data collection and more.
Firstly, as someone who has spent most of their career working in planning and sustainable development, what inspired you to write this book?
Years ago, when working on immigration and extinctions in island bird communities, one of the things that impressed, but also worried me, was the extreme variability in the quality of data from year to year. Were the gaps in species records (apparent extinctions) real, or were they due to issues with data collection or recording? Moving onto protected areas and the related planning policy framework, the same problems with data quality surfaced there.
Later, when I began working on planning disputes it was clear that local planning authorities (LPAs) were staffed by good, but often overwhelmed, planners. A series of Association of Local Government Ecologists (ALGE) reports have confirmed this. ALGE reckoned there were issues of capacity (people/time) and competence (often limited specialist knowledge) that stopped LPAs doing what they wanted to do. These remain today.
Looking at the often frankly poor material dumped onto them by would-be developers, it was and is hard for planners to know how to address it, how to find out what’s needed, and where the gaps were and are. Suitable methods had been scattered across journals, books, and specialist documents, and were often hard to fathom. The absence of a recent one-stop synthesis of most of the material needed was the main driver for Protected Species and Biodiversity; trying to fill an acknowledged hole. The fact that Natural England and DEFRA’s guidance for Protected Species left much to be desired was a further problem. The idea of the guide was to try and provide an accessible way of seeing what needed doing. Something that would be suitable for planners, householders and developers’ ecologists alike – and for LPA planners to use and see if what had been claimed by applicants had been done properly, or not.
If the guide works, then the hope is that a better, more informed level of debate can take place. If so, better data will be provided and protected species and biodiversity will be the winners. The core methods section (Chapter 5) is suitable for protected species in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Common Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) by J P, via flickr.
Biodiversity Net Gain is a recent development in planning and land management. How do you think the introduction of this policy will affect protected species across the UK?
As I try to show in the last bit of the guide, BNG isn’t focused at all on protected species; delivery is still expected through protected species legislation. Yet, there is clearly a hope that BNG will sneak in more of all sorts of species, some of which may be rare or protected. Duffus et al (2024) have neatly shown that the score in the area-condition metric used by BNG isn’t related to either species richness or abundance. Instead, more information is needed, along with species surveys. If so, then they need doing well – and there is a debate to be had on that in the guide too.
This book emphasises the importance of collecting high-quality data for use in planning. As data quality improves, could there be a shift in our understanding of the UK’s condition? And could the true state of the UK’s biodiversity be worse than we initially thought?
Better knowledge, better use of standardised methods, and a better understanding of what the resultant data does or doesn’t mean, along with less use of unverified mitigation techniques: all will help us understand potential impacts of planning proposals on biodiversity a little bit better than we do now.
Better data might well show problems, but could also help in some circumstances by showing that some things are better than we thought, or by waving a flag before it is too late to act. Getting consistently reliable data will allow more meaningful actions at a local and wider scale.
Great Crested Newt by Leonora (Ellie) Enking, via flickr.
Chapter 5 offers an extensive insight into the data local authorities should collate when conducting an in-depth evaluation of protected species. Did you face any challenges in keeping this section accurate?
Of course things do, and will continue to, change. Even when the first draft of the text was completed there were basic changes in NE/DEFRA guidance that required reappraisals and revisions. The species guidance was equally dynamic. So, yes, it was tricky keeping up to date. The role of the guide is to bring together what we knew at the time of writing in an accessible way. If things change dramatically, there may be a case for a revised version in 5-10 years’ time. But in the meantime, it is there and might as well help people trying to understand what needs doing, or where claims need contesting, and why.
How important do you think technological advancements, such as bioacoustic methods, will play in collecting more accurate data?
Technology is critical in helping us better interpret the environment. For example, I use a range of bat recorders, and recorders have got better, and more efficient with time.
Technological improvements are fine, but they still come with error terms. Knowing and stating the limitations of methods and data are critical to help us understand what we can and can’t do with a set of data. In Public Inquiries, I regularly saw untenable claims relating to bat data that rarely matched the reality of the technology used. Query this, and the case often began to fragment. eDNA has its own issues too. So, yes in principle to advances in technology, but yes also to clear health warnings and stated limitations in any planning submissions that use them.
Hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) by Frank Vassen, via flickr.
What do you hope readers and practitioners will take away from your book?
The main message is that good data is key to an informed discussion between developers, opponents and planners. Being able to see what is needed, how it might be done, and why the precepts of BS 42020 (Biodiversity Standard) are core to the process. Openness, transparency and knowing what is needed will help us all – and biodiversity in particular. Poor data, bad methods and doubtful claims won’t help. If this guide helps LPAs pick some of those up, then it was worth writing.
Finally, what is occupying your time at the moment? Are you working on any other projects we can hear about?
Although now largely retired, I continue to write a blog on matters that interest me: serious and whimsical. I’m standing down now from Chairing a Friend’s Group for an island nature reserve. Having written the management plan for the site, the dim and distant origins of the island intrigue me, and there are plans in the pipework for a small book on the history and ecology of the island.
Protected Species and Biodiversity: A Guide for Planners and Ecologists is available from our online bookstore.
Nest boxes can be an excellent way to support biodiversity and incorporate additional habitat into new builds or redevelopments. Some nest boxes are specifically designed to cater to certain species, while others are more generalist and are suitable for multiple species. Generally, bird nest boxes consist of a large internal cavity and an access hole in various shapes or locations depending on the target species. They can be made from a variety of materials, however, woodcrete (or woodstone, woodconcrete) is generally preferred due to its robustness, longevity and advantageous thermal properties.
As low impact, wildlife-friendly construction gains momentum, more choice is added to the market each day, and the range is extensive. We are pleased to offer the largest range of integrated nest boxes in the UK. Here we provide an overview of some of our bestselling models and their benefits.
Integrated Swift Boxes
Swift populations have declined over recent decades due to changes in roof design and the choice of materials used to construct our homes and public buildings. This species typically uses existing holes, cracks and crevices to build their nests, especially those in old buildings, so built-in swift boxes are recommended to provide areas for these birds to roost. These boxes provide large internal cavities within the brickwork that can be accessed by horizontally elongated, often downward facing entrance holes. As colony breeders, it is recommended to site multiple swift boxes together, situated with a clear flight path. The boxes should be installed at a minimum height of 5m on a non-south facing wall and should have no less than 40cm between entrance holes.
Installed flush to the wall or can be rendered over
Long lasting and durable
Integrated Sparrow Boxes
House Sparrow populations have undergone significant declines in previous decades and remain in a vulnerable state in the UK. As colony nesters, this species would benefit from boxes that are installed close together, or a larger, terraced box with multiple connected chambers. These built-in sparrow boxes consist of a durable woodcrete housing with a discrete entrance hole and a large cavity chamber (or alternatively multiple chambers) for nesting.
Can be integrated into the build or fixed to external walls
Removable front panel
Multiple chambers
General Purpose Integrated Bird Nest Boxes
Built-in bird boxes have inclusive designs to cater for a number of bird species, and usually consist of a woodcrete nest box with a cavity space and a discrete entrance hole. These self-contained concrete nests are unobtrusive and are typically installed flush to the wall or can be rendered over for more pleasing aesthetics.
Can be integrated into walls and rendered over, or can be mounted onto external walls
Suitable for multiple species
Custom Integrated Bird Boxes
Bird boxes typically consist of a solid box made from insulating materials with an internal nesting space. They can be custom faced with a chosen brick type (or existing brick, wood, stonework or rendered finish) to allow for discrete installation and a better blend into the existing facade.
If you have any questions about our range or would like some advice on the right product for you then please contact us via email at customer.services@nhbs.com or phone on 01803 865913.