Connecting People with Nature

West Midlands Swift Academy – Connecting People and Swifts in Urban Spaces 

Close up photo of a small light brown bird in flight against a blurred gray background.

By Chloe Hardman, Senior Project Manager, West Midlands Area Team   In this blog, Chloe Hardman discusses swifts, and the amazing work being done to protect them within communities in the Midlands. When was the last time an animal made you …

Unlocking the geography of health and deprivation: two enhanced analytical tools launch today

Image shows a neighbourhood that has implemented good GI. A green park with a pathway runs through it, a clear blue sky hangs overhead. The trees and grass are lush and vibrant

By Sarah Hammonds, Urban Greening Senior Officer This blog discusses the launch of two new tools: the Index of Multiple Environmental Deprivation (IMED) and the Environmental Equity Index (EEI). Built collaboratively over 18 months, they map environmental pressures and health …

Growing Green: How England's Cities are Putting Nature at the Heart of Development

A group of 10 people (mixed gender) stand together smiling outside of an old building with trees and shrubs.

By Nicola Brown, Senior Officer, Green Infrastructure  This blog explores the amazing green infrastructure work being done across the UK and Europe to ensure that our towns and cities are resilient enough to cope with the effects of climate change. …

Celebrating 75 Years of the Countryside Code!

By Clare Webb, Countryside Code Project Manager at Natural England.  In this blog, Countryside Code Project Manager Clare Webb reflects on the evolution of the code over the last 75 years, and how her work has changed to accommodate evolving …

My Day at the Coast with the King: Launching the King Charles III England Coast Path

A group of people in Natural England and England Coast Path uniform in conversation with King Charles III in a walled garden.

By Neil Constable, Programme Manager, King Charles III England Coast Path Team This blog post is a personal reflection by Neil on the official launch of the trail at Seven Sisters in Sussex on 19 March. Neil describes his 16-year …

Healthy Outdoors: Strengthening the Evidence for Nature Based Health Interventions 

4 female volunteers in high vis carrying bags of garden waste.

By Dave Bell, Principal Officer: Health & the Environment, Natural England  As studies continue to show the profound benefits of nature and outdoor activity for public health, the Healthy Outdoors guide has been created to address a critical evidence gap: the need for …

Why Nature Close to Home Matters: Evidence from the People and Nature Survey 

By Lydia Dixon, People and Nature Deputy Director, Natural England  A daily dose of nature boosts physical and mental health, strengthens communities, and can save the NHS millions every year. These benefits are often greatest for people in nature-deprived communities, who gain disproportionately from …

Natural England’s Chief Scientist reflects on the Science, Evidence and Analysis for nature recovery

By Professor Sallie Bailey, FICFOR, BES On 4 December, the Royal Armouries in Leeds hosted some leading voices in nature recovery. Thought leaders and innovators from environmental NGOs, academia, finance, infrastructure and local government joined Natural England at our Science, …

Rediscovering the value of water meadows

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Connecting People with Nature, Landscape, Natural England, Nature
Salisbury cathedral as a backdrop to the Harnham water meadows

By Edward Parrott, Senior officer - Agri-Environment Evidence team, Natural England Earlier this year I had the pleasure of joining contractors LUC and industry experts on a visit to Harnham water meadows - a rare surviving example of a centuries-old …

From local to national and back again: place-based support for citizen science

An illustrated citizen science brainstorming workshop with members of the public in Bristol by the Natural History Consortium

By Andy Jefferies, Senior Officer for Citizen Science One challenge for the citizen science sector is how to bridge the gap between evidence and experiences which are meaningful at a local scale, and those which are meaningful at a national …