FROM BUGBYTES—AN UPDATE

Buglife Logo saving the small things that run the planet View this email in your browser Dear John Welcome to the September edition of Buglife's e-newsletter, BugBytes! As October knocks on the door, we’re looking ahead to “spooky season” and some of the amazing invertebrate characters who fit right in. We’ll be sharing more about what our Conservation Team have been up to, looking at some great news stories, events and opportunities. So, let’s dive in and take a look at what’s been happening in the world of bugs! Thank you for being a part of our journey! For nearly 25 years, we've been fighting for the small things that run the planet. Restoring habitats, shaping environmental policy, and delivering conservation projects across the UK - and thanks to you, our supporters, we're creating lasting change. Through our award-winning B-Lines network, working with over 750 partners, we've helped create and restore more than 610 hectares of wildflower-rich habitat - reconnecting landscapes so pollinators and other wildlife can thrive. 💪 But our work is far from over 💪 As our 25th anniversary approaches, we're setting our sights on the future. This summer, we need your help to create more wildflower habitats, restore more vital landscapes, and secure a future for invertebrates. Will you help us grow the next chapter of B-Lines? Find out more… Buglife, “Warts” and all… The past month has seen Buglife’s work with the Wart-biter Bush-cricket (Decticus verrucivorus) hitting the headlines. This fantastically named large green cricket is considered one of Britain’s most endangered insects; a rare species currently confined to just a six sites in England (two of which resulted from reintroductions). 🤝 Working alongside organisations including the The Royal Entomological Society, Sussex Wildlife Trust and a number of private landowners, with the support of volunteers, Buglife is planning further relocations and reintroductions as part of the latest Wart-biter Bush-cricket species recovery project work. Read the story “Spooky season” bugs! With so many to choose from, we struggled to pick just a few, but here’s just a small selection of bugs which fit right in when it comes to “spooky season” Ghost Slug (Selenochlamys ysbryda) © Liam Olds Meet the Ghost Slug (Selenochlamys ysbryda), found predominantly in Wales. The slug's white colour and nocturnal habits led to its species name ysbryda. The word ysbryd means 'ghost' in the Welsh language. Rarely seen, this slippery critter, truly is a ghost! The Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa) common name comes from its unusual defense strategy of exuding bright red fluid from its mouth when threatened. As well as providing a visual deterrent, the fluid is foul-tasting, puting birds and other would-be predators off the beetle as a lunch option. Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa) larvae © Buglife Batman Hoverfly (Myathropa florea) © Gertjan Kamsteeg “I’m Batman!” The Batman Hoverfly (Myathropa florea) to be precise. Instantly recognisable by the dark markings on it’s thorax (behind its head), which are often said to look like the Batman logo. Their aquatic larvae also have a spooky connection as they are sometimes known as rat-tailed maggots. Their long tail is actually a breathing tube that acts a bit like a snorkel! Burying beetles (also known as Sexton beetles) are often seen as one of the undertakers of the animal world and are often found where there are small animal corpses. They can smell a rotting animal corpse from up to a mile away! Burying beetles are known to cull their young at an early stage to ensure that the supply of food provided by the carcass is sufficient to nourish all the larvae sufficiently. Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus vespillo) © Samuel Merriman-Johnson Government report highlights Britain’s overseas invertebrates are in great peril When you think of the UK’s biodiversity, you probably think of bumblebees in meadows, spider webs in damp autumn grasslands or beetles gliding through ponds. You might not think of bright yellow woodlice covered in spines on distant Atlantic islands or tarantulas in the Caribbean! But the UK’s Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are home to over 1,000 endemic invertebrate species - those that are found nowhere else in the world and a new report by the JNCC has highlighted just how precarious these special species are. Join Buglife Programmes Manager, Jamie, in our latest blog as he explores the report's findings and what can be done to conserve and protect the fascinating species that call these islands home. Spiky Yellow Woodlouse (Pseudolaureola atlantica) © Mike Thorsen Read the blog… ✍️ Share your views ✍️ We’re currently developing two new projects in Scotland and are keen to receive feedback and comments from local communities. Take a look at both below and share your thoughts. Do you live or work in, or even visit, the Cairngorms National Park and/or Scotland’s northeast coast? Our first proposed project will rediscover and revive “ghost ponds” - historic ponds lost to infilling or neglect. There will be creation of new ponds, enhancement of existing ponds, peat pools, and wet grasslands aiming to rewet landscapes for the benefit of invertebrates, amphibians and other wildlife. Share your views and let us know what your thoughts! ✅ Please complete this short survey (<10 mins) to help us develop this new and exciting project, in partnership with Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC), that will create, restore, and reconnect wetland habitats across the area. Share my views… Our second proposed project is in response to community groups trained in the Riverfly Monitoring Initiative via Guardians of Our Rivers. Many of these community groups now want to expand the scope of their activities to better understand how the river and land interact and contribute to meaningful change that will protect their local river. River Citizens will raise awareness of the importance of rivers and of how monitoring them can empower communities enabling them to be involved in meaningful action. Share your views and let us know what your thoughts! ✅ Please complete this short survey (<10 mins) and help us to refine our plans to give Scotland’s communities a voice in determining the health of their rivers. Share my views… Browse our Bug Directory Did you know that we have almost 200 invertebrate species profiles on our website, and counting? Let’s meet one of the species that you may be seeing at the moment; the Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris). Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) © Sid Mosdell (CC BY 2.0 DEED) Did you know that there are approximately 9,000 species of wasp in the UK? Only nine of these species are social wasps, which form large nests and are the type that most people think of when you mention “wasp”; like our friend here the Common Wasp. Found throughout the UK in almost all habitats, including woodland and urban areas, they are fairly easily identified by most people; striking in their yellow and black striped outfits. At this time of year they are generally making themselves known; the workers have fulfilled their purpose; new queens and drones are emerging to start the cycle all over again. Colonies only last one year and once the new queens depart, all the other wasps in the colony die. They are fascinating insects with an incredibly interesting lifecycle and an inspiring story to tell. Head on over to our Bug Directory to find out more. Take me to the Bug Directory! If you would like to know more about wasps in general, why not visit our Wonderful Wasps web page! You can also explore the world of social wasps and hornets with wasp specialist, Tony Madgwick, via the entoLEARN online course, Social Wasps of the UK Let’s be sociable… ICYMI ~ Suddenly seeing bugs… Ever wondered what it takes to bring mayflies, dragonflies, damselflies, bees and butterflies to life on screen? We asked illustrator Anina Takeff (Anina Takeff Studio) - the creative mind behind our brand new animations - to tell us about her process. Anina had barely given bugs a second thought before this project. But after weeks spent studying their wings, colours and body shapes, something shifted. On a trip to her family's lake house, she found herself surrounded by dragonflies and bees she'd never have noticed before. As she puts it: she wasn't seeing nature differently - she was finally seeing it. 💚 It's exactly the reaction we hope our work inspires! Meet Anina and discover more, in our recent guest blog, "Suddenly seeing bugs". Read the blog… Upcoming events Saturday 5 September - Saturday 31 October ~ Art at the Mill Exhibition (Banbury, Oxfordshire) Tuesday 6 October ~ Bookworms! preschool story time at Canvey Island Library (Canvey, Essex) Tuesday 6 October ~ Unwelcome Guests: How Insect Pests are Impacting Britain’s Forests with The Biological Recording Company (online) Wednesday 7 October ~ The Bug Bunch! For Home Ed Families (Canvey, Essex) Thursday 8 October ~ Robberflies with The Biological Recording Company (online) Thursday 13 October ~ Plug planting volunteering with Pollinators Along the Tweed (Peebles, Scotland) Wednesday 21 October ~ Fly Research and Conservation Virtual Symposium with The Biological Recording Company (online) Wednesday 21 October ~ The Bug Bunch! For Home Ed Families (Canvey, Essex) Tuesday 27 October ~ Surveying for Flies with The Biological Recording Company (online) Wednesday 28 October ~ Walk the Wick! Autumn 2026 (Canvey, Essex) Courses with the Biological Recording Company Buglife is pleased to share that The Biological Recording Company will now donate 10% of the sales price of their online courses and webinars when participants sign up through our dedicated links. To make finding and accessing these easier, using our sign-up links, we have created dedicated courses pages on our website. The pre-recorded webinars, and associated content, cover a wide range of invertebrate (and non-invertebrate) topics. Why not take a look and see what you discover?! Expand my knowledge with eLearning Please do remember that our website Events Page is being updated all the time so, to keep up to date with both current and future Buglife events, as well as events from partners and supporters, be sure to visit regularly. What’s the buzz? Pollinator survey uncovers three new species records across the Scottish Borders Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata) © Artur Rydzewski (CC BY 2.0) Blue Mason Bee (Osmia caerulescens) male © Claire Pumfrey Read the story… Recent site surveys have identified what appear to be three new vice-county records across Scottish Borders Council-owned sites: Rose Chafer Beetle (Cetonia aurata) – new to Roxburghshire Blue Mason Bee (Osmia caerulescens) – new to Roxburghshire Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes) – new to Berwickshire All three species were recorded on sites where Buglife has been working with Scottish Borders Council to improve habitat for pollinators, as part of a broader initiative to support invertebrate populations across the region through a funded Buglife Scotland project, Pollinators Along the Tweed. ‘Exotic’ invertebrates in the wild: welcome visitors or warning signs? From the sightings of praying mantids in Cornwall to the suspected sound of cicadas on London streets, reports of non-native invertebrates appearing across Great Britain are becoming increasingly common. These discoveries can be exciting, offering a glimpse of new species in the UK. But they also raise an important question: should we celebrate these exotic invertebrates, or be concerned about how they appeared and what impact they may have on our native wildlife? European Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa) © Didier Descouens (CC BY-SA 4.0) Read the story… For all our latest news please visit our website News Pages. Buglife shop The Buglife Shop is open for all your invertebrate needs, offering more ethical options and ways for you to support bugs. Whether you’re looking for clothing, insurance, home accessories or gifts for a loved one; there’s something for everyone! a packet of native wildflower seeds Nurture the Night Shift Jute Bag Visit Buglife’s shop Adopt a Bug Don't forget you can stay up to date with the work of the Buglife team via Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube! Thank you for your continued interest in and support of our work; together we can save the small things that run the planet! The Buglife Team Join the Buglife Community Facebook icon Instagram icon LinkedIn icon YouTube icon Website icon Buglife Logo Copyright © 2026 Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive communications electronically from Buglife. Thank you. Our mailing address is: Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust Allia Future Business Centre London Road Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE2 8AN United Kingdom Company No. 04132695 | Registered Charity No. 1092293 | Scottish Charity No.SC040004 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

FROM WILD JUSTICE—IT’S ABOUT DEFRA AND THE CALL FOR EVIDENCE

Good morning, You may have already heard about Defra opening a Call for Evidence (CfE) on matters related to gamebirds. Today’s newsletter will tell you a bit about it, its scope, and how you might be able to contribute to it. Defra’s Call for Evidence; this is your opportunity to be heard on all things ‘gamebird’. Earlier this month Defra opened a Call for Evidence on gamebirds, their rearing, releasing, shooting and associated management. It covers several species; Red Grouse, Pheasants, Red-legged Partridges and Mallards. This is not a public consultation, but it is still very important. The Government has said it will explore wider measures, such as licensing, for recreational gamebird shooting and release, and the process of forming any new proposals will begin with evidence gathering. What Defra receives now could shape whether a full public consultation follows, and what future policy on gamebirds will look like. Defra wants evidence on the impacts of these industries, including environmental impacts, animal welfare implications, disease and biosecurity risks (including bird flu), wildlife crime and effects on local communities. The CfE is open to anyone, and that includes you if you live in, work in or visit the countryside. The webpage for the CfE states that Defra will accept "well-documented operational or experiential evidence" alongside peer-reviewed research. Shooting organisations are already urging their members to respond, telling them their experience is evidence. We would say, so is yours. Have you had a vehicle collision with a gamebird, found dumped birds or a stink pit, come across illegal traps, or discovered a dead or injured bird of prey in suspicious circumstances? Have you been harassed by gamekeepers, been disturbed by noise, or lost access to land because of shooting? We’ve written a blog explaining what the CfE asks for, who can respond, what kinds of evidence work best, and how to submit yours, including a list of questions about your own interactions with gamebird shooting. Wild Justice will be submitting our own response, which we’ll share with you at a later date. The shooting industry has largely evaded accountability for the harms it is responsible for. Now we have a rare opportunity to formally put on record issues that the industry would prefer remained hidden, and demonstrate to the Government that these issues are widespread and of deep concern to the general public. If you do respond via the online form, you might want to answer Questions 28 and 29 of Section A: ‘Call for Evidence Questions – Other impacts’ – particularly Question 28e. Read our blog & respond to the Call for Evidence If you'd like to share a copy of your submission with us via email, we’d be interested to receive it. Thank you, Wild Justice (CEO: Bob Elliot. Directors: Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay). This is the 274th Wild Justice newsletter. This email was sent to you because you subscribed to it through the Wild Justice website or through an e-action or a petition where you ticked a box. Thank you. We will only use your personal details to send you the Wild Justice newsletter. We will not give or sell your details to anyone else. You can unsubscribe at any time: there is an unsubscribe button at the foot of this email or you can reply to this email and ask us to remove you from the list (the former will happen immediately, the latter might take a few days). 124, City Road London Greater London EC1V 2NX UNITED KINGDOM Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options

SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER FROM BRITISH TRUST FOR ORNITHOLOGY

The BTO logo – Birds Science People View this email in your web browser Goldcrest, by Liz Cutting / BTO Dear John, Welcome to the Members' Edition of the September BTO newsletter. It is certainly feeling autumnal now, the summer migrants gone and the first of the winter visitors already here. Many of you have commented on just how quiet gardens and the countryside seem. It is that time of the year when things do go a little quiet, with some species less visible because they are moulting or because they are feeding elsewhere on an abundance of berries and seeds. Our core monitoring data will reveal if there is anything else going on this year – the spread of usutu virus in Blackbird populations, for example. It is also the time to look ahead to winter birding and fieldwork opportunities, and the upcoming Non-estuarine Waterbird Survey provides an opportunity to combine both of these, so do take a look at what's involved to see if you can help. NEWS – can you help? Every winter, thousands of volunteers take part in the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS), counting waterbirds at wetland sites across the UK. Decades of surveys provide valuable evidence of population trends, changes in distribution and conservation needs. However, coastal WeBS counts mainly cover estuaries, leaving thousands of miles of rocky shores, sandy beaches and exposed coastlines poorly monitored. These habitats support important wintering waterbirds, including Purple Sandpiper, Sanderling, Curlew and Turnstone. Information on these populations comes from the Non-estuarine Waterbird Survey (NEWS), a periodic survey for which a new round of fieldwork is about to begin. If you can survey a stretch of coastline at low tide during December 2026 or January 2027, you can help ensure that regional and national population estimates are robust. Most sectors are about 2 km long and involve walking along the shore or coastline (and back again). During the last NEWS, such scarcities as King Eider, White-billed Diver, Sabine’s Gull and Little Auk were seen, so you never know what you might find! Find out more White-billed Diver, by Liz Cutting / BTO White-billed Diver, by Liz Cutting / BTO Help us learn from local wader monitoring UK breeding waders such as Curlew and Lapwing are declining sharply, largely due to poor breeding success. BTO and the Curlew Recovery Partnership are piloting a new Wader Monitoring Scheme (WaMS) to collate existing monitoring data from across the UK, aiming to reveal patterns in egg and chick losses that single studies can't. We are not asking wader projects to do anything differently – just to share the data they have already collected. Further details, including data guidance and submission options, are available on the project webpage. The deadline for this year's data is 16 October. Find out more Lapwing chick, by Liz Cutting / BTO Delivering vital data on pollinating insects Declines in pollinating insect populations are a cause for concern, yet understanding how their populations are changing remains difficult. This is because long-term monitoring schemes cover relatively few pollinating insect species. BTO is a partner in the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (POMS), and BTO volunteers contribute to the data being collected through the scheme. A scientific paper, published this week, delivers improved methods for tracking changes in insect abundance and diversity, while accounting for environmental variation and potential sources of bias. In addition to producing new trend information for different groups of pollinating insects, the paper demonstrates that POMS data can help to target conservation actions for these important species. Given the central role of pollinating insects in ecological foodwebs and the delivery of ecosystem services – such as pollinating our crops – this is good news for birds and for people. Find out more Hoverfly, by Edmund Fellowes / BTO Hoverfly, by Edmund Fellowes / BTO Pre-order The Birdwatcher's Yearbook 2027 You can now pre-order your copy of the 47th edition of The Birdwatcher's Yearbook! A comprehensive companion for British birdwatchers, the Yearbook features checklists, diary, fully revised County Directory, details of local clubs as well as 750 UK bird/nature reserves, and much more. Plus, today is the last chance to take advantage of their early-bird offer. Order today and save £3 on your copy! Click the link below or get in touch by phone or email: Email neildstratton@btinternet.com Call 01573 450695 or 07949 132990 Birdwatcher's Yearbook cover Pre-order your copy Latest News UK Cuckoos reach wintering area As the latest map updates reveal, our male Cuckoos are now entering their wintering quarters. The birds, which are part of an ongoing BTO project, have made incredible journeys south. Discover where they are wintering, and learn more about this important work. Cuckoo, by Moss Taylor / BTO Cuckoo, by Moss Taylor / BTO Identification feature With Little Egret and Great White Egret numbers continuing to increase, both species need to be considered if you catch sight of a large white 'heron'. This video, from our Bird ID Workshop series, provides some useful pointers for their identification. Little Egret & Great White Egret video / BTO Events and training opportunities BTO Annual Conference 2027 We're already looking forward to our next Annual Conference, taking place in Sheffield from Friday 5 to Saturday 6 March 2027! Our fantastic line-up of expert speakers will take you from gardens to coastal cliffs, through to farmland and urban environments, as they explore a range of key ornithological and conservation topics. Click below to explore the full programme! View the full programme Thank you for your continued support! Happy birding, The BTO Membership Team VOLUNTEER DONATE SHOP British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU. www.bto.org | info@bto.org. Registered Charity no. 216652 (England & Wales) SC039193 (Scotland). Company Limited by Guarantee no. 357284 (England and Wales) Unsubscribe from the BTO e-newsletter

FROM PROTECT THE WILD—SUCCESS AT THE THREE PEAKS CHALLENGE

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more We did it! Yorkshire Three Peaks Completed! ✅ ROB POWNALL OCT 1 READ IN APP We did it! The Yorkshire Three Peaks has been conquered by the (now exhausted) Protect the Wild team in eleven hours 48 minutes! A total of 24 miles walked, 1,500 metres of ascent and a whopping 60,000+ steps! No wonder we’ve all been complaining this morning about aches and pains! It was a day that summed up Britain in many ways, one minute absolutely tipping it down and the next minute finding ourselves saying ‘this is actually quite nice now!’ But regardless of what the weather was doing we weren’t going to let it dampen our spirits as we made our way towards the first peak. I’ll insert a picture below to get across just how wet things were when we set off at 6:50am! (The laughter captured after I told a very hilarious joke) Help us reach our target! The next ten hours were pretty rough but it was such a privilege to be surrounded by incredibly compassionate people who work so hard to make the world a better place. A walk of this length also gave time for reflection on exactly why we were ascending each peak. We scaled Pen-y-ghent for the foxes, hares and deer that are chased and killed We ascended Whernside for the hounds exploited and killed by hunts We conquered Ingleborough for the horses forced into dangerous situations for human entertainment Most importantly, we took on this challenge to remind all of us that we must keep pushing to ensure hunting with hounds is consigned to the dustbin of history. The Govt has a monumental opportunity to change legislation and make this a reality but only if they properly strengthen the Hunting Act and don’t leave any wriggle room like they did back in 2004. We are doing everything we can to make sure this gets over the line. If you’d like to chuck in a few pounds to our fundraiser we’d be so appreciative. We passed £13,000 this morning so our £15,000 goal is so close to being achieved! I'll donate to end hunting I am so thankful to every single person who has already donated and supports the work that we do at Protect the Wild. It’s an absolute privilege to have such incredible people in our corner and it made every step a little bit easier :) A huge thank you to Beck Hall Hotel! The fabulous Beck Hall Hotel, Malham hosted the team over the past couple of days and we are incredibly thankful for their generosity. It truly was the perfect place to recharge as we limped back last night to tuck in to our vegan dinner! I’m not usually one for taking photos of food but I couldn’t resist this morning! SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL

View email in browser Hi John, From Nairobi to Panama City, this month's stories highlight the growing impact of conservation partnerships around the world. They show how people from different sectors and countries are coming together to put nature at the heart of the decisions that will shape our future. Want to inspire others? Click here to forward these highlights. An Omnibus Scrapbook of Nairobi: The Global Partnership Meeting and Global Flyways Summit 2026 A collage of photographs of staff taking part at our Global Partnership Meeting Our Global Partnership Meeting and Global Flyways Summit concluded with plenty to celebrate: a major new State of the World’s Birds report, the Nairobi Flyways Declaration, and an innovative Flyways Bond Framework that could help unlock future conservation investment. Together, these achievements show what’s possible when partners across the world come together with a shared purpose View the scrapbook Nature Cannot Be “Overshot”: BirdLife Partnership Demands Urgent Action on UN Climate Warning Seabirds flying over the sea A new UN report warns that delays in tackling climate change could lead to irreversible losses for nature. In response, we are joining Partners from more than 120 countries in calling for stronger action and greater investment to protect birds, biodiversity and the ecosystems we all depend upon. Find out more A bird-friendly vision Bird-friendly buildings are helping make cities safer for migratory birds. In Panama City, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) is incorporating bird-friendly design into its new regional hub through the Americas Flyways Initiative, a partnership with CAF, BirdLife and the National Audubon Society. Read the Q&A Supporter photo spotlight A big thank you to the sculptor and visual artist Kamau wã Njoroge for sharing this wonderful image of his artwork. In Kamau's words "I am a scrap metal sculptor based in Gilgil, Kenya, working primarily with upcycled mechanical and industrial waste from bicycle chains and gears to discarded sheet metal. Guided by the philosophy 'Dunia ni chafu, Uchafu ukiutizama' (the world is dirty, depending on how you look at it), my creative process turns discarded materials into sculptures that reflect environmental stewardship and social vitality. Through my ongoing avian series, Birds of Kenya, I capture the spirit and forms of native Rift Valley species to raise awareness around habitat preservation, particularly around Lake Elementaita. Every piece is an invitation to reimagine waste as art, spark community action, and inspire sustainable solutions to our shared environmental challenges. " For your chance to be featured, send us your best shots and a short paragraph about it to: howtohelp@birdlife.org. Get your photography featured Last chance! All gifts doubled for a limited time to give birds a lifeline The Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Egyptian Vulture, Bar-headed Goose and Bobolink may follow different routes across the world, but they share a common vulnerability. If even one vital wetland, grassland, coastline or stopover site is lost, the effects can ripple across an entire migration. We can meet this challenge by taking conservation action on a global scale but we need your help. Double your donation today Thank you for your support, Mairianne Walker | BirdLife International Supporter Team Image credit in order of appearance: Urban creative of warbler © Americas Flyways Initiative, Bar-headed goose by Nejib Ahmed/shutterstock.com, Bobolink by Danita Delimont/shutterstock.com From £5 you can be part of our global community helping to bring birds back from the brink. Check out our memberships. 10% off on a BirdLife Bundle! Get everything you need to take out birding. All purchases can help birds and nature thrive. Need a Will? Estate planning doesn’t have to be complicated. We’re offering a free, easy-to-use resource to help. Get started! LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube Website You are receiving this email because you opted-in to hear from BirdLife International BirdLife International is a registered charity 1042125 Address: BirdLife International, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK For full details on how we collect, use and store your personal information see our Privacy Policy. update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Copyright © 2026, All rights reserved.

OKAY YOU RIGHT TO ROAMERS—YOUR NEWS FROM THE SUMMER OF CLEAN UPS & POSSIBLE TRESPASS

Summer Round-up What we’ve been up to this summer, what’s coming this autumn, and a final call for print orders Dear Roamers, Autumn is beginning to make itself known. Stepping out for my morning walk, I noticed that the branches once laden with blackberries have been picked bare by purple-stained fingers, paws and beaks. It’s been a busy summer of swims, trespasses, investigations, festivals and acts of Wild Service. So, before we head into autumn, here’s a look at where we’ve been, and where we’re going. A summer of swimming During some of the hottest days of the year, many of us did the most natural thing imaginable: went looking for water. But across England and Wales, swimmers and paddlers continue to encounter fences, warning signs and threats of trespass. So this summer we set out to understand just how difficult it is to reach our rivers. Our investigation of 89 English river catchments found that 71% of riverbanks have no access land or public right of way on either bank within 100 metres of the water. The findings put numbers behind something swimmers, paddlers and walkers have known for years: we are a country full of rivers that most people have remarkably little right to reach. As our summers get hotter, access to cool water and shade matters more. We can manage genuine risks without shutting people out. Other countries do. Access, safety and care for nature are not opposites. A weekend in Makerfield Earlier this month we took the campaign to Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s own constituency. Despite large areas of Makerfield being Green Belt countryside, there is a right to roam over just 1% of the constituency. We started at the Wigan Diggers’ Festival, spending the day talking with hundreds of people about access to nature and hearing local stories. Among people gathered to celebrate Gerard Winstanley’s belief in the Earth as a “common treasury for all”, we felt very much at home. The following day we put on our boots for the Makerfield Mass Trespass. When we arrived, new fencing had been erected across our intended route through the Winstanley Estate, with police and security waiting nearby. After a friendly conversation with the officers, we were able to continue, albeit not quite as planned. So we did what we do best: we roamed. We found another route, picked up litter and talked about the landscape and access, before finding an unfenced way through and settling down for a picnic on the grass. There was something wonderfully absurd about eating sandwiches while police and security watched from a distance. We caused no damage and left the land in better condition than we found it. You can watch the BBC report of the trespass below. Or read about it here. The wild service workshop At Platt Fields Market Garden in Manchester, we brought together people already doing brilliant things for nature and others with the first seeds of an idea they wanted to grow. Through practical workshops, shared knowledge and plenty of conversation, we explored how to turn our love of nature into action and give something back to the places that give us so much. It was a reminder of something at the heart of our campaign: access and care go hand in hand. People protect the places they know. Trespasses, trails and tidy-ups Our local groups have been busy too. South Devon took to the water on the River Erme and at the Marristow Estate; Dorset cleared a blocked Right of Way on Deadmoor Common; Leicestershire held a swim trespass and picnic; and West Yorkshire joined Trash Free Trails to give the Yorkshire Three Peaks a post-summer spruce. From clearing paths and picking litter to swimming and trespassing, local groups have been putting responsible access into practice in their own patches. New groups are springing up too. Take a look at our website to find, or start, one near you. trailer teaser story visual trailer teaser story visual Final call for this batch of Nick Hayes prints Funding is tight right now. That’s one of the reasons we launched our print shop, featuring artwork by Right to Roam co-founder Nick Hayes. Every penny raised goes back into our investigations, actions, local groups, workshops and campaigning. Our first collection helped fund our work over the summer. Our current collection closes for pre-orders on 30th September and we’re still short of our fundraising target. So if you value what we’ve been doing and want to help us keep doing it, this is a very direct way to support us. And you get to take something beautiful home in return. Newsletter subscribers can also get a free postcard and bookmark set featuring our campaign artwork. Add your chosen print and the gift set to your basket and enter ROAMFREE at checkout. Final orders close on 30th September. If you can help with one final push by ordering a print or sharing the shop, we’d be enormously grateful. Coming up this autumn There’s plenty stirring this autumn. A few dates for your diary: ROAM: Animations Inspired by our Right to Roam - Bimingham, 5th October, 7-8pm Sarah Silverwood, Edd Carr and Grace Lee have created three short films inspired by Right to Roam. Join Animate Projects and Grand Union for a free screening and conversation with Sarah, Edd and Right to Roam’s Jon Moses. Book your free place here. Love Your River - York, 18th October Join Amy-Jane Beer and friends for a day celebrating Yorkshire’s rivers, including a ceremonial mixing of waters and procession through York, followed in the evening by words, music and poetry at the Love Your River Bardic Session. Reserve your free spot here. Summit Wrong?! - 24th October Our North West group will attempt to reach several fenced-off Peak District summits while exploring the life and legacy of pioneering access campaigner Ethel Haythornthwaite. Time and meeting place to come so keep an eye on our channels to stay up to date. South Devon Coming up: a river trespass on 18th October, costume and banner making on 15th November, Wintertide Festival on 21st November, and a solstice sunrise on 20th December. There’s plenty more in the works, so keep an eye on our website and local group channels as we roam our way into winter. Thank you to everyone who swam, walked, trespassed, volunteered, researched, picked litter, came to an event or supported us this summer. See you out there. Jess, on behalf of the Right to Roam team x Can you help keep us roaming? The right to roam campaign is kept afloat by small donations from a few hundred monthly supporters. We are grateful for every single one of you. It’s what keeps the work going, but if we want to scale what’s needed, we need to grow that base. We currently have a target of 1,000 subscribers in order to make the campaign sustainable for the next year. Can you help? £5 / Month £10 / Month £15 / Month £20 / Month As an extra bonus for supporters, those who choose to become monthly paid supporters of the campaign will automatically enter into our ongoing art print giveaway as a thank you for helping sustain the movement long term. Visit our social accounts RIGHTTOROAM.ORG.UK This email was sent from this site. 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FROM PROTECT THE WILD—DEFRA WANT UNDERCOVER FOOTAGE

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more The Government wants our undercover bird shooting footage PROTECT THE WILD SEP 25 READ IN APP For almost a year, we’ve been working undercover to expose what happens inside the bird shooting industry. We’ve documented intensive breeding, suffering, and birds being treated as disposable products. Now DEFRA is examining the industry and has written directly to Protect the Wild asking for our evidence. We have rather a lot to send them! That’s just one of the stories in the first episode of our new weekly recap, which you can watch below :) I’d love you to give it a watch and tell me what you think in the comments and whether this is something you’d like us to keep doing. The idea is to provide a digestible (and enjoyable) format to look over the biggest stories and issues affecting British wildlife and the work that we’re doing here at Protect the Wild. The first episode has just gone live :) SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing