BBC News reports the 1,000th captive-bred hazel dormouse has been released into the wild in a UK-wide reintroduction scheme for these threatened mammals.
Category Archives: Uncategorised
Orchid thought to be extinct in UK found on roof of London bank
THE GUARDIAN reports a rare species of orchid believed to have been extinct in the UK has been discovered on the roof of an office building in the City of London.
Serapias parviflora, also known as small-flowered tongue orchid, was found growing in the 11th-floor rooftop garden of the Japanese investment bank Nomura. It is usually found in the Mediterranean basin and the Atlantic coast of France, Spain and Portugal.
Vultures, tongue orchids: why are rare species here in UK?
The Oserver reports the Egyptian birds are one of a number of foreign visitors, but why have these continental drifters fled north?
Wales appoints UK’s first wildlife and rural crime coordinator
The Guardian reports Rob Taylor’s job will involve working with the four police forces in Wales, the UK government, other emergency services and wildlife and farming representatives to tackle countryside crime from fly-tipping to heating oil theft.
Nature is ‘sexier word’ than biodiversity and should be replaced in environment bill, parliament told
The Independent reports the government’s long-awaited environment bill contains too many usages of the term “biodiversity”, where “nature” could be used instead as it is a “sexier word … with more public traction”, the House of Lords has heard.
According to Conservative former minister Lord Blencathra, the term “nature” commands greater understanding than “biodiversity”, and people can more readily relate to it.
UK government’s ‘toothless policies’ failing to protect nature
BBC News reports a committee of MPs has lambasted the UK government’s approach to nature, saying it is failing to stem huge losses of plants and species. Their report says that the UK has the lowest remaining levels of biodiversity among the world’s richer nations.
The MPs say the government spends far more on exploiting the natural environment than it does conserving it. They’re calling for legally binding targets for nature similar to the UK’s climate laws.
Conservationists check out of retailers’ ‘disastrous’ bee hotels
The Times reports conservationists have warned that bee and insect hotels for sale in retailers including Dunnes Stores and Lidl, as well as in many garden centres, could have a sting in the tail: they may not help many bees and could be harmful if used incorrectly.