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Calum Maclure inspecting pitfall traps (The James Hutton Institute)
An invertebrate survey carried out by The James Hutton Institute, Scotland’s pre-eminent interdisciplinary scientific research institute for the sustainable management of land, crop and nature resources, has identified 140 species at the Findhorn Hinterland, including a variety of dung beetle only found in the UK. The survey was commissioned by the Findhorn Hinterland Trust, who have managed the hinterland for the last decade.
The site, which sits to the east of Findhorn village, measures 50 hectares – around 70 football pitches – and consists mostly of sand dunes and woodlands. It features a variety of habitats, including bare sand and shingle, which is a habitat of conservation importance on the Scottish Biodiversity List.
To understand which invertebrate species are living in these habitats, Hutton researchers sampled almost 4,000 invertebrates between July and October 2025 using pitfall traps. A further 22 invertebrates were sampled by hand between March and September 2025.
The researchers identified 140 species during the survey, including the coastal rove beetle Anotylus maritimus, which is a habitat specialist associated with fine sand and shingle, and Psammoporus insularis, a species of dung beetle only found in the UK.
British seaside gulls may divide opinion, but recent research shows that these charismatic, and sometimes controversial, birds are struggling to survive in our modern world.
Evidence published this week (w/c 18 May), shows significant declines in the numbers of several common and widespread species inhabiting our shores.
A visit to the UK seaside would not be the same without the scent of candy floss and salty sea air, or the familiar and evocative cries of ‘seagulls.’ But new research shows that these characterful coastal birds are having a tough time, and numbers are in steep decline.
A report, published this week by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), assesses the outcomes of a long-standing nationwide study into the numbers and distribution of the UK’s common gull species. Carried out in the winters of 2023/24 and 2024/25, the most recent Winter Gull Survey (WinGS) has revealed a bleak picture overall for these well-known and idiosyncratic birds.
Six species of gull were targeted in the project: Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, and Mediterranean Gull. This latter species, a relatively recent coloniser, was added to the list for the first time since the survey began in the winter of 1952/53, and is still only present in small numbers.
CIEEM is proud to support a landmark cross-sector initiative calling on government to embrace nature-positive housing and infrastructure as a driver of economic prosperity — and we’re urging you to get involved.
The Cross-Built Environment Climate and Nature Forum, led by Prof. Anusha Shah (Past President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, 2023-24), is launching the #NatureIsGrowth campaign from Tuesday 26 May to Monday 2 June 2026, with a campaign summary published on World Environment Day (5 June).
The campaign brings together professional institutions across the built environment to push back against any weakening of nature-positive policy mechanisms, and to demonstrate — with real evidence — that nature-positive development is not in tension with growth. It is growth: delivering homes, infrastructure, economic resilience, climate adaptation and biodiversity recovery together.
CIEEM members are uniquely placed to contribute. As ecologists and environmental managers working at the interface of development and nature recovery every day, you hold the case studies, the expertise and the professional credibility that this campaign needs. Whether you are working on major infrastructure schemes, housebuilding, smaller developments, biodiversity net gain, sustainable drainage, green infrastructure, nature-based solutions or any other development that benefits nature, your experience is exactly what government and industry need to see.
Developers delivering projects across southern England and the Solent can now reserve off-site Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) units at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s first habitat bank, Wilder Little Duxmore.
The habitat bank provides an off-site solution for developers who cannot achieve their full 10% biodiversity uplift on-site, enabling them to meet mandatory BNG requirements while supporting landscape-scale nature recovery. Early reservation of units gives certainty during planning, allowing applicants to demonstrate secured off-site provision as part of their planning submission.
BNG is a legal requirement in England which means new developments must leave nature in a better state than before. Where this cannot be fully delivered within a development site, developers can secure off-site units to meet the requirement.
Located on a tributary of Wootton Creek, Wilder Little Duxmore is being restored from former intensive arable land into a mosaic of priority habitats. Habitat units available for BNG offsetting include neutral grassland, mixed scrub, species-rich hedgerows with trees, and rare chalk grassland.
Work to harness nature to reduce the threat of flooding for homes and businesses in Shireoaks and Worksop is well under way.
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust has today (Monday 18 May) issued an update on the £1.1million Saving Shireoaks & Worksop through Natural Flood Management (NFM) project. This project is funded by the Environment Agency as part of the £25 million Natural Flood Management Programme.
In addition to reducing flood risk, NFM schemes can provide habitat for wildlife, improve air and water quality and enhance community greenspaces.
The project to benefit Shireoaks and Worksop is being delivered by Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire Wildlife Trusts, Nottinghamshire County Council and University of East London University. It aims to harness natural processes to help reduce the impact of flooding on homes and businesses in the River Ryton catchment area by slowing river flows and boosting flood storage capacity by reconnecting the watercourses to their floodplains and creating new ponds.
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