Farmland water “battery” storage and leak-detecting broadband cables among winners in Ofwat innovation competition
Farmers could soon be reimbursed for creating water storage ponds or water “batteries” as part of an innovative drought-prevention project that has received funding...
Public urged to keep watch for tree pest oak processionary moth
The Forestry Commission has (on 11 May) urged the public to report sightings of oak processionary moth caterpillars. We are now entering the greatest...
Bio-based ropes claim eco-friendly aquaculture benefits
New "bio" ropes made from biomaterials have the potential to replace conventional plastics of fossil origin in mussel and algae cultivation, say the groups...
No butts: Time to eradicate litter item as research clarifies toxic cargo
Cigarette filters are the world’s most common form of litter. New research appears to show that the filters leak thousands of toxins and plastic...
Comment: England’s local planning authorities risk failure on new biodiversity rules through inadequate land...
Satellite data and AI technology can perform essential ecological surveys to guide reporting and nature recovery strategies, says Software as a service (SaaS) AI...
Historic marshalling yard rejuvenated by biodiversity improvements
A former marshalling yard located in Feltham, London, owned by South Western Railway (SWR) has been rejuvenated as a result of the biodiversity improvement...
Biomass-fermentation-based protein recognised for potential contribution to a net zero food system
Agrifoodtech start-up MicroHarvest has been named as winning innovator for its response to the challenge of ‘Building a net-zero food production system’ by a panel of...
Conservation group calls for justice for the River Lugg
Damaged stretch of river must be restored following successful prosecution by Natural England and Environment Agency, says Herefordshire Wildlife Trust
On 20 April a court...
Comment: Technology will be crucial to the success of vertical farms
Vertical farming is increasingly being regarded as one of the solutions to the problems faced by global food production systems, and in the following...
Geographically-distributed species fare better with anthropogenic changes
New findings appear to reveal that widely distributed (geographically) species tend to benefit from anthropogenic changes and increase the number of sites they occupy,...
Over 600 seals rescued off the coast of the UK in the past 10...
Wildlife charity Sea Life has rescued and rehabilitated 636 seals over the past 10 years with its rescue teams based at Scarborough and Hunstanton,...
Quest for sustainable alternative to peat gets £320,000 boost
Innovative trial will use household food and green waste
Replacing the estimated 1.7 million cubic meters* of peat used in horticulture with sustainable alternatives is...
Group distils wisdom on biochar for climate-smart agriculture
Burning biochar has been a traditional agriculture practice used by humans since time immemorial. A new study attempts to synthesize global data from nearly...
20-year research project reveals “devastating loss of British & Irish flora“
The creators of the new Plant Atlas say it is “the most powerful statement ever produced on the state of our wild and naturalised...
A mixture of trees purifies urban air best, reports Swedish study
Conifers are generally better than broadleaved trees at purifying air from pollutants. But deciduous tree may be better at capturing particle-bound pollution. A new...
‘Superhero’ seagrass meadows produce sand that may protect coral reef islands from sea-level rise
Seagrass meadows produce large volumes of sediment that can build coral reef island shorelines, increasing the resilience of low-lying reef island nations to future...
Project outlines first commercial scale seaweed farm between offshore wind turbines
A project to create a commercial-scale seaweed farm located between offshore wind turbines has gotten underway, with funding from Amazon. The project, known as...
Rewild the night sky by tackling light pollution says charity
Chris Packham is urging the public to spend 20 minutes counting stars to help build a crucial national database mapping light pollution. The broadcaster...
Birds bounce back when farms devote 10% of their land to nature-friendly measures, says...
A more strategic approach to wildlife-friendly farming schemes is required to recover England’s farmland bird populations, according to a new study led by the...
Measuring oil contamination in soil
Petroleum hydrocarbons in soil continues to be an area of interest for scientists as they are the most common contaminants that are toxic to...
