iNEWS reports just a few meters away from the Overground rail track at Brondesbury Park, in north-west London overgrown, dilapidated surrounding land has been transformed by the company, Energy Garden, into a biodiverse, productive garden powered by solar. A sign attached to a fence invites anyone to come in and water the plants with a solar powered hose. This station is one of 34 to be similarly renovated.
‘Absolutely ridiculous’: top scientist slams UK government over coalmine
The Guardian reports one of the UK’s most eminent environmental scientists has called the government’s failure to block a new coalmine in Cumbria “absolutely ridiculous”. Prof Sir Robert Watson said the UK’s commitment to net zero emissions by 2050 to tackle the climate crisis was “wonderful”, but that there had to be a focus on immediate actions.
The UK is hosting a UN climate summit and Boris Johnson has pledged to lead a green industrial revolution.
UK nature map: Where you can go in the UK to see red squirrels, whales and even sharks
The Express reports the British Isles are home to thousands of different animal species, but some are inevitably harder to find than others. While the country is mostly known for its hedgehogs, foxes, badgers and vast array of wild birds, tourists can also see sharks, whales and otters in the island’s waters. And despite almost being wiped out completely in the Victorian era, red squirrels still exist in various parts of the UK.
A map devised by the team at Lease Car UK shows spots in the UK where some of the most uncommon species can be seen first hand.
‘Superplant’ shrub absorbs 20pc more pollution than other hedges
The Daily Telegraph and iNEWS report one metre of dense hedge will mop up the same amount of pollution that a car emits over a 500-mile drive. Plant scientists at the Royal Horticultural Society have advised growers choose bushy, hairy-leafed alternatives, as these have been found to remove more air pollution.
Researchers tested three hedges for pollution removal in traffic hostpots; Cotoneaster franchetii, Thuya plicata (Western red cedar) and Crataegus monogyna (hawthorn). They found that the cotoneaster franchetti was by far the most effective at cleaning the air, and that in just seven days a one metre length of well-managed dense hedge will mop up the same amount of pollution that a car emits over a 500 mile drive.
Young Brits willing to spend 25 per cent more to make holiday eco-friendly
The Daily Mirror reports a study of 2,000 people showed those aged 55 and over would only pay an extra 10 per cent to go green on their hols while 18-24-year-olds are leading the eco-friendly charge. It found a third of respondents want to be more environmentally and socially conscious on their travels, but this rises to 41 per cent for 18-24-year-olds.
Botanists in race to save rare flower from extinction
The Times reports one of the rarest plants on a Scottish mountain celebrated for its botanical riches could become extinct in the wild. Experts are now planning a rescue mission for the mountain sandwort, which has delicate white flowers, after a big decline in numbers.
The most recent count of the plant on Ben Lawers, Scotland’s tenth highest Munro reveals a fall of more than half in just 15 years. Botanists will gather seeds on the Perthshire mountain this summer to grow in a safe place and ensure the plant’s survival.
Edinburgh aims to become sanctuary for swifts as numbers decline
The BBC reports conservationists are hoping to turn Edinburgh into a sanctuary for swifts after a drastic decline in the bird’s population. Numbers fell by more than 50% in the UK between 1995 and 2016, when the estimated average population dropped from 125,500 to 59,000.
One of the biggest challenges that the species faces is the loss of nesting sites in older buildings, which are often blocked off during renovation work or lost when buildings are demolished.
Prince Charles’ half-term nature challenge: plant seeds and paint a paperweight
The Daily Telegraph and Sky report Prince of Wales urges bored children to pull on their wellies and engage with the natural world on their doorsteps.
“It’s at this time of year that all sorts of wonderful things start happening as nature wakes up the world from its winter sleep,” he said in a video message recorded at Highgrove last week. “What I love to see is how each of these things depends on everything else happening – how the millions of tiny organisms in the soil make it possible for the flower to grow; how the trees become home to lots of insects and give shelter to birds as they build their nests. “But you wouldn’t believe it, the way everything works together goes even deeper. You can see this if you look really closely at the patterns of things.”
Acknowledging the frustrations of being stuck indoors for months on end during the pandemic, the Prince, a lifelong advocate of the natural world, urged children to take a really close look at nature as it slowly changes, to note how “the same patterns occur over and over again”.
Urban beavers to be released by Wildlife Trusts during record comeback
The Daily Telegraph reports perhaps one of the last things one would expect to see when popping to the high street would be a beaver busily foraging materials for its dam. However, the Wildlife Trusts are planning the first in a wave of urban beaver releases, with a pair due to be transplanted to central Shrewsbury, and influential figures behind the “rewilding” plans say this is the beginning of a drive to get them in most towns and cities.
The Wildlife Trusts have identified a 12-hectare site in the centre of the large Shropshire town which is perfect to host the furry rodents. It is currently being prepared for their release next year.
Have you gone back to nature in lockdown?
Oxford Mail reports Oxford artist Diana Bell has made contact with a team of researchers from Oxford and Cambridge universities who are studying whether people have reacted to nature in a different way during lockdowns.
Ms Bell has been drawing or painting from nature every day since the first lockdown began last March. Garden Ecologies by Professor Jamie Lorimer and his research team aims to understand how human to nature relationships have been affected and whether an interest in nature sparked during the lockdowns will persist.
Remember to check out FNW’s Lockdown Nature Photo Gallery, and if you’ve been enjoying nature as part of your lockdown experience, add your photos to the gallery by emailing them to fnwildlife@gmail.com.