Energy & Environment

An update on SFI and our agri-environment schemes

It's been a while since our last post. We're glad to be back! Over the past month, we've been welcoming Defra's new ministerial team, who are fully committed to environmental land management schemes. We've been working with them to optimise our schemes and grants for farmers, food security and nature recovery. In this post, we'll update you on the SFI rollout, provide links to new supplementary scheme guidance and share details on endorsed actions and capital items.

Updated: Mon Aug 12 2024

Clarifying the Facts: Tagging of hedgehogs and licensing requirements

There has been some misinformation on social media recently regarding the tagging of hedgehogs to enable identification of individuals. This blog post from Natural England aims to set the record straight and provide clarity on this important issue. Background Marking ...

Updated: Mon Aug 12 2024

Restoration of Coastal Grazing Marsh in Essex

My name is Nicola and I work as a Catchment Co-ordinator in the East Anglia Environment Programme team. I work across Essex from the River Colne to the Mardyke including our extensive coastline. A key aspect of my job is ...

Updated: Mon Aug 12 2024

With a lot of help from our friends: assembling an England Peat Map

Contributors: Andrew Webb, Principal advisor, England Peat Map. Tom Hunt, Data engagement lead, England Peat Map. Sarah Parrott, Engagement and impact lead advisor, NCEA. Elizabeth Mitchell, Engagement and impact senior advisor, NCEA How do you make a map of something that's largely underground, ...

Updated: Wed Aug 07 2024

Dartmoor Land Use Management Group: appointment of a chair

In April, we published our response to the Independent review of protected site management on Dartmoor. We agreed with the recommendation to create a land use management group. I'm pleased to say that the position of chair has just been advertised. In this post, I'll share a short summary and provide links to learn more.

Updated: Tue Aug 06 2024

Revitalising the Hamble Brook: A new wetland haven in Buckinghamshire

New life has been breathed into Buckinghamshire's Hamble Brook by a substantial wetland site spanning 2,500 square metres. This work, led by the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project, further extends the largest scheme of its kind involving the Environment Agency, and ...

Updated: Fri Aug 02 2024

The Chief Scientist Report: 2023

Professor Sallie Bailey, Chief Scientist at Natural England, tells us about the publication of Natural England's sixth Chief Scientist Report This Report, the sixth in the series, focusses on the impact our work has and - crucially - how ...

Updated: Fri Aug 02 2024

Bringing new life to Hull's urban waters

Hull is a city that has long been defined by its relationship with water. Environment Programme Project Manager, Dan Jagucki, talks about an innovative project to bring new life into Hull's urban waterways. Hundreds of years ago the city and ...

Updated: Thu Aug 01 2024

Celebrating Marine Protected Areas Awareness Day

As we celebrate Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Awareness Day, it's fitting that we reflect on the importance of MPAs, the role we play in manging those in English waters and the support we provide internationally to the UK Overseas Territories ...

Updated: Thu Aug 01 2024

Combatting crime in rural communities

Sgt Dan Goss from Merseyside Police Rural, Wildlife & Heritage Team shares how working collaboratively with the Environment Agency and others is helping to stop waste crime across Merseyside's rural areas. Merseyside Police is one of the newest forces to ...

Updated: Wed Jul 31 2024

How we're bringing change to water industry performance

The water industry is underperforming, and it needs to change. We know that people want and deserve more for their water environment. We are meeting this challenge head on. We want to be a modern, confident and efficient regulator. To enable ...

Updated: Wed Jul 31 2024

Delivering for nature and the economy

Home builders in the Poole Harbour catchment area can apply for Nutrient Credits from 31 July. Natural England is playing its part in getting Britain building by enabling sustainable growth and safeguarding our rivers, lakes and seas. One way we ...

Updated: Tue Jul 30 2024

Holme Fen National Nature Reserve peatland restoration project

By Catherine Weightman, Natural England's Senior Project Manager for Peatland Restoration in the Fens - West Anglia Team I've been working for Natural England and its predecessors for more than twenty years. I'm currently working on peatland restoration in the ...

Updated: Tue Jul 30 2024

Eat. Sleep. Peat. RePeat: Celebrating International Bog Day!

Happy International Bog Day! It's finally here! International Bog Day on Sunday 28th July, is essentially Christmas for the Environment Agency's National Peatlands team. It highlights the international importance of bogs, fens, swamps and marshes and in fact anywhere with ...

Updated: Fri Jul 26 2024