New report shows UK nature bearing brunt of chaotic climate - The Wildlife Trusts
The Wildlife Trusts warn: Government is shockingly underprepared
Today (26 September 2025), The Wildlife Trusts publish their new assessment of the effects of climate change on nature across the UK. The report, Resilient Nature, shows how much-loved species and habitats are faring across The Wildlife Trusts’ 2,600 nature reserves in response to the changing climate and extreme weather over the past year.
Whilst summer’s headlines were dominated by heatwaves and drought, the report reveals that over the past 12 months it has been extreme changes in weather patterns that have been the most damaging overall, with the natural world bearing much of the brunt.
Key findings include:
- Drought and heat extremes have caused important wildlife habitats, such as peat bogs and heathlands, to dry out on Wildlife Trust nature reserves. Low water levels in ponds, streams and rivers have also affected swifts, dragonflies and amphibians.
- High wildfire risk has imperilled precious landscapes, including Upton Heath in Dorset where nature reserve staff were devastated to find charred birds’ nests among the fire debris in April.
- Unpredictable weather has led to disruptive storm events, with natural habitats unable to absorb sudden, vast amounts of rainfall. When two months’ worth of rain fell in just a few days, multiple Wildlife Trust nature reserves were flooded.
Dan Westbury, Wilder Lugg project officer at Radnorshire Wildlife Trust, says: “Wildlife here has struggled to scratch out an existence in the dried-up sections of the river Lugg, the main tributary of the famous river Wye. This is the lowest the river has been in decades, with real impacts on dippers and other bird and bat species that rely on the invertebrates usually found in the river for food. As we head into autumn, we also have real concerns for fish such as trout, who need the right depth of water to migrate. This is likely to have a knock-on effect on kingfishers too, who feed on fish found in the river.”
Read the Resilient Nature Report
Posted On: 26/09/2025
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