CJS News, Headlines from week beginning 4 January 2021

A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.

Covid drives huge increase in use of urban greenspace - NatureScot

Record numbers flock to NatureScot’s national nature reserves in 2020 - NatureScot

Hidden world of mice, voles and shrews revealed by new approach. - British Trust for Ornithology

The Wildlife Trusts’ marine review 2020 - The Wildlife Trusts

We've received funding to help address climate challenges - Canal and River Trust

Highland farmer to create landscape size woodland - Scottish Forestry

Countryside Code under review - Defra / Natural England

Scots want beavers moved not shot, new research finds - Trees for Life

Record breeding year for critically endangered wildcats - The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland

New sites to test how connecting people with nature can improve mental health - Defra, Department of Health and Social Care and Natural England

Forestry Jobs Summit a “catalyst for job opportunities” says Ewing - Scottish Forestry

RFS 2021 bursaries open - Royal Forestry Society

World could lose coral reefs by end of century, UN environment report warns - United Nations Environment Programme

Tackling nature loss report – 2021 a ‘big year’ for nature - NatureScot

Big bumblebees learn locations of best flowers - University of Exeter

Restoring peatland on Skye - John Muir Trust

New report reveals declines in UK’s woodland birds - RSPB

2020 Climate change extremes result in mixed fortunes for wildlife - The National Trust

New partnership to further strengthen rewilding science and knowledge - Rewilding Europe and the Zoological Society of London

Scotland’s Marine Assessment 2020 launched - JNCC

New £5 million project to save woodlands - Natural England

Feeding stations on farms to boost bird numbers project - Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust

New report finds bottom trawling taking place in 98% of UK’s offshore Marine Protected Areas - Marine Conservation Society

Defra response to coverage on banning supertrawlers and pulse fishing - Defra in the media blog

A blooming first two years for Green Angels at Hassall Green - The Land Trust

Taking stock...ZSL London Zoo’s annual stocktake goes ahead behind closed doors - as ZSL’s key workers ensure essential work continues through lockdown - Zoological Society of London

Planners give green light to Otter Valley project - Environment Agency

Gene editing creates potential to protect the nation’s environment, pollinators and wildlife - Defra

Farming for Change - Food, Farming and Countryside Commission

Scottish SPCA looks back at some unusual rescues of 2020 - Scottish SPCA

Review looks at progress helping farmers and crofters deal with sea eagle impact - Nature Scot

Cotswold Water Park given greater protection by Natural England - Natural England

Volunteers plant 200 native trees as river restoration project is completed on local nature reserve - Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust

Scientific Publications

Government Official Statistic:  NFI squirrel stripping damage and presence of squirrels in woodland in Britain

This report summarises data from the NFI field survey to provide estimates of the presence of squirrels in forests and woodlands.

This report includes estimates of the presence of squirrels for Great Britain, England, Scotland and Wales, broken down by National Forest Inventory (NFI) region.

It provides evidence of the distribution of squirrels in Great Britain during the years 2010-2015 and 2015-2018.

Read the report:  NFI squirrel stripping damage and presence of squirrels in woodland in Britain

   

Defra Policy Paper:  Changes to the Habitats Regulations 2017

The main points and processes of the 2019 Regulations, which amend the Habitats Regulations 2017 that transpose the Habitats and Wild Birds Directives, to make them operable from 1 January 2021.

This document explains the:

• changes made to the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 to make them operable from 1 January 2021
• functions transferred to ministers from the European Commission.

More information here and download the new regulations document here.

   

Updated forms for all species licences following Brexit. Start here.

Links to many of the articles on these pages are no longer current, please proceed with caution.

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Disclaimer: the views expressed in these news pages do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CJS.