RIGHT TO ROAM FROM THE ROAMERS — IT’S ALL A SLOW PROCESS — BUT WORTH THE READ

Can't see this message? View in browser   Five Years. Nine Failures. Fifteen Signs of Hope. Dear Roamers, Over the past five years there have been no fewer than nine major policy announcements, commitments, or reviews of public access. All of which have since been shelved, abandoned, diluted, or have otherwise vanished into the ether. First, the Agnew Review – announced during the heady days of the pandemic, when access inequality was at the forefront of everyone’s mind. This promised “radical, joined up thinking” that would lead to a “quantum shift in how our society supports people to access and engage with the outdoors”. It was shelved. Next: the government’s response to the Glover ‘Landscapes Review’, with its clarion cry that ‘fair access is given to all’. To evidence action taken, the government scrabbled together a handful of regional initiatives it had little hand in… and a poetry prize. In response to Glover’s call for enhanced access rights on access land, the government said it would “aim to review the open access maps to clarify rights and inform any further consideration of expanding open access rights”. Aim to review – translation: ‘think about considering’. It didn’t happen. Then came the, admittedly bold, declaration that everyone ‘will live a fifteen minute walk from a green space or water’. An idea which promised to defy laws of physics and geography unless the government simultaneously enacted the comprehensive right to roam the minister was quick to explicitly rule out. This is still technically government policy. But when we made a freedom of information request about progress it turned out no one had actually done any real work on the proposal and the suggestion to make it a legally binding target had been quashed. So much for that. Still, on and on the announcements came and went. In 2023, Rishi Sunak announced the “search” for a new national park in England. I guess he’s still looking. Around the same time a ‘woodland access implementation plan’ was published, promising to “enhance and create new access rights in woodlands”. It didn’t. Perhaps having a new party in power would finally lead to some actual delivery. Unfortunately here too the record has been mixed. Labour committed to a Scottish style right to roam (yay!), U-turned after lobbying pressure from the major landowning and farming lobbies (boo!) re-committed to extending the CRoW Act (mostly yay!), which became a commitment to a White paper (okay!), which became a commitment to a Green paper (hrm!) which has been kicked into the long grass (sigh!) and is now due to be “published [sometime] this parliament”. Last Boxing Day they promised to remove the 2031 cut off for registering historic rights of way. But they still haven’t allocated parliamentary time for it to happen. Still, just as under the Conservatives, the announcement machine keeps rolling. The latest Boxing Day splash saw the government declare that the first of their “nine national river walks” was to be piloted on the river Mersey. Long term readers of the newsletter will know we’ve been highly critical of these proposals, and this announcement did little to dampen our objections. It appears the Mersey, which is already one of the more accessible rivers in England, won’t actually receive any new access. Instead the existing path will be getting accessibility upgrades. No bad thing. But a level of ambition worthy of a parish council, not a national government. Governing is hard and we’d love to be more positive about what politics can achieve. After all, the flood of announcements does reflect awareness that the access issue is popular, necessary and not going away. But it’s hard not to conclude that Westminster is currently more committed to the theatre of change than to actually changing lives. This year we need to break through that inertia. To help, this weekend we’re hosting our very first in-person gathering of the entire Right to Roam local group network. This has steadily grown to fifteen regions since we launched it exactly three years ago and we’re excited to finally have an opportunity to meet representatives from across the country to strategise a way forward. We appreciate that not everyone can make these kinds of events (you probably don’t have the time and we don’t yet have the space!) but if you have thoughts you'd like to contribute to the conversation, reply to us here and we’ll throw them into the mix. Best wishes, Jon and the Right to Roam team ---------- For the latest campaign updates, follow us on Instagram & Bluesky To get involved, check out our website here. Can you help keep us roaming? Head to ‘Donate’ here. Learning from those who make muck prosper Take Action Visit our social accounts Check out our site   This email was sent from this site. If you no longer wish to receive this email, change your email preferences here.

FROM WILD JUSTICE — AN INTERESTING READ ON HEN HARRIER PERSECUTION

Good morning, Today’s newsletter contains an update on two court cases, neither of which directly involves us (quite unusually), but are of interest to us and, we believe, might be of interest to you. Gamekeeper pleads guilty to conspiring to illegally kill a Hen Harrier Last week at York Magistrates’ Court, a gamekeeper pleaded guilty to conspiring to kill a Hen Harrier in what is the first ever successful prosecution in England relating to Hen Harrier persecution. This is significant. Convictions for raptor persecution are difficult to achieve. These offences often take place in remote areas where the actions of the perpetrators are rarely witnessed. It means that, far too often, the criminal burden of proof (i.e. beyond a reasonable doubt) to demonstrate who committed the offence can’t be reached, and so people who are very likely guilty of illegally killing birds of prey get away with it. This case is an exception. In 2024, evidence was uncovered by the hard and diligent work of the RSPB’s Investigations Team, following intelligence they’d received in relation to suspicious activities on a grouse moor on the Conistone and Grassington Estate in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. After installing a covert camera, the RSPB obtained audio and video evidence of gamekeeper Racster Dingwall (and two armed accomplices) plotting over radios the shooting of Hen Harriers, as well as conversations about birds they’d apparently already killed that day (a Buzzard and a Raven). Recorded near a Hen Harrier roost site, the covert recordings captured the trio’s radio conversation as they spotted a Hen Harrier with a ‘box’ on it – code referring to a satellite tag. Other code used by the group included ‘Jets’ (referring to Hen Harriers), ‘Bombers’ (referring to Buzzards) and ‘Nolling’ (to kill a bird of prey). On this occasion, the satellite tag (‘box’) acted as a protective deterrent, with the trio deciding not to kill the Hen Harrier so as not to attract unwanted attention from researchers monitoring the tag’s data and subsequently, enforcement authorities. Instead, they decided to fire warning shots to scare the bird away. Later on, another Hen Harrier was spotted, this time without a tag. In the RSPB’s footage, Dingwall was seen loading his gun and walking towards the roost site. A single shot was heard (off camera). Congratulatory comments could be heard over the radios before they all left the area. Predictably, the defence tried to have the case thrown out on a legal technicality (relating to the RSPB’s authority to install a covert camera on private land). This argument has been used with some success, and some failure, in previous cases. Thankfully, this time the valuable evidence was ruled to have been collected lawfully by the RSPB and was accepted by the judge as admissible evidence. Dingwall faced two charges: Possession of an article capable of being used to commit a summary offence under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981. Encouraging and assisting in the commission of a summary offence, believing it would be committed. On 29 January 2026, on what had been the first day of a scheduled two-day trial, (now former) Head Gamekeeper Racster Dingwall, 35, pleaded guilty to both offences. He was fined £400 for each offence, plus a surcharge of £320, plus £400 costs, totalling £1520. Our thoughts… Whilst the work of dedicated groups and individuals, like those of the RSPB and others, have documented the ongoing illegal killing of hundreds of birds of prey over many years (including 147 Hen Harriers confirmed ‘missing’ or illegally killed since 2018), it’s not often that a conviction is achieved – a level of injustice that infuriates many of us, and indeed was one of the motivating factors for us when we decided to set up Wild Justice in the first place. This case, supported by high quality evidence, has shown, yet again, that illegal persecution is an ongoing and serious threat to birds of prey, despite the gamebird shooting industry’s attempts to gaslight the public into believing the opposite. The majority of Hen Harrier persecution incidents are known to take place on, or next to, driven grouse moors, yet many supporters and participants of this ‘sport’ regularly deny that the industry has a problem (see a video from Chris Packham here, and some quotes from the industry below). We welcome the conviction in this case although we consider the sentence to be derisory, not helped, in our view, by the Crown Prosecution Service’s failure to provide the court with background context about the widespread persecution of this species and the impact this is having on its conservation status. It highlights the need for improved national sentencing guidelines for judges who may rarely encounter wildlife crime offending and therefore may not understand the wider picture. We do, though, congratulate the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) for helping to secure a successful prosecution under the Serious Crime Act. This was a novel and welcome approach and we hope to see more of it. And whilst Dingwall’s fine is unlikely to act as a deterrent to other would-be raptor persecutors, it’s highly likely that the knowledge that the RSPB can now capture audio and visual footage of such high quality, will lead to offenders looking over their shoulders and thinking twice. You can read the RSPB’s press release on the Grassington case here, and some more detailed notes on the sentencing aspects of the case on the Raptor Persecution UK blog here. Legal challenge against new burning regulations thrown out of court. In other good news, the Moorland Association’s application to the High Court for a judicial review relating to Defra’s new burning regulations has been refused. The Moorland Association (a lobby group for grouse moor owners in England) sought to challenge the process by which Defra introduced the Heather & Grass etc Burning (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, which restrict the burning of vegetation over deep peat. After a hearing in London’s High Court on 27 January 2026, Mrs Justice Lieven refused all of the grounds of challenge put forward by the Moorland Association. We’re especially pleased with this decision as burning on peatland is an issue of huge concern. You may remember in spring 2025 we asked you to respond to a government consultation on this very topic, encouraging answers that asked for the strongest restrictions possible when it came to burning on precious peatland. By September 2025, the government announced a change in the rules for burning heather and grass on peatland, redefining ‘deep peat’ as 30cm in depth (previously 40cm), and therefore protecting an additional ~450,000ha of this precious habitat from the damaging practice. We’ve since heard that the Moorland Association intends to appeal last week’s court ruling. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this and will of course keep you updated. That's it for now, we'll be back in touch soon. Thank you, Wild Justice (CEO: Bob Elliot. Directors: Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay). This is the 261st 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

FROM PROTECT THE WILD — A CRITICAL VOTE ABOUT RIGHT-TO-PROTEST IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more A critical vote on protest rights happens this Wednesday ROB POWNALL FEB 2 READ IN APP This Wednesday, the House of Lords will debate whether animal testing sites should be classified as “key national infrastructure” under the Public Order Act. It is the final parliamentary hurdle. It matters more than ever. Over the past few months, Protect the Wild supporters have pushed back hard against these dangerous regulations. Together, you have sent more than 40,000 emails to MPs, 22,000 emails to members of the House of Lords, and taken to the streets for two days of action in Westminster. Behind the scenes, we have also been working closely with peers to make sure the serious risks of these changes are fully understood. Despite that pressure, the government forced the regulations through the House of Commons in January. That was a setback. It was never the end of the road. Now, everything turns to the Lords. What’s being debated, and why it matters On Wednesday 4 February, peers will consider whether to approve the Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025. At the same time, Baroness Natalie Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party) has tabled a fatal motion. This is a motion that would reject the regulations outright. Her motion states that the House of Lords should decline to approve the regulations because they: represent legislative overreach stretch the definition of “key national infrastructure” beyond any reasonable meaning lack adequate evidence that existing police powers are insufficient further restrict the democratic right to peaceful protest and are being pushed through without sufficient steps to end animal testing itself If peers back this motion, the regulations fall. This is not symbolic. It is a real, substantive challenge. What the government wants to do The regulations would amend the Public Order Act 2023 to classify parts of the life sciences sector as key national infrastructure. This includes: pharmaceutical research and development facilities manufacturing sites for medicines and vaccines and any site licensed for animal experimentation under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 That change would make it a criminal offence to intentionally or recklessly interfere with the operation of these sites. Penalties include up to 12 months in prison, a fine, or both. Ministers argue this is necessary to protect public health, pandemic preparedness, and the UK’s life sciences industry. They claim protest activity threatens vaccine production, supply chains, and national resilience. Crucially, they have failed to demonstrate why existing laws, covering harassment, obstruction, criminal damage, and public order, are not already sufficient. Why we’re opposing this Animal testing facilities are not roads, power stations, or energy networks. Designating them as key national infrastructure is a profound and dangerous expansion of state power. It risks criminalising peaceful protest and shielding controversial private industries from public scrutiny. Even parliamentary committees have acknowledged how far-reaching these changes are. Human rights organisations warn that they continue a clear pattern. This is the steady narrowing of space for lawful protest in the UK. All of this is happening while the government simultaneously claims it wants greater transparency and a future phase-out of animal testing. Those positions cannot coexist. What happens next The House of Lords has a constitutional role to scrutinise, challenge, and, where necessary, stop flawed legislation. That is exactly what is happening this Wednesday. Thanks to your pressure, peers are informed. Briefings have been circulated. Concerns are on the record. Baroness Bennett’s fatal motion will be debated alongside the government’s proposal. Whatever happens next, this moment matters. It matters because protest rights matter. It matters because animal testing must not be placed beyond challenge. It matters because democracy does not end when a Commons vote is lost. Thank you for standing with us, in Parliament, on the streets, and behind the scenes. We will be watching closely on Wednesday, and we will update you as soon as the debate concludes. We’re blown away by your support. Last month, Protect the Wild gained 530 new monthly supporters. That is the strongest month we have ever had, and it happened because people like you chose to stand with us. Because of that support, Protect the Wild is now backed by more than 7,000 people giving a regular monthly donation. That steady support is what allows us to run undercover investigations, produce hard-hitting media, and keep applying pressure where others hesitate or stay silent. Now, as we move into February, we want to see if we can beat January’s total. If you would like to be part of that and help make February our strongest month yet, you can join us as a monthly supporter by clicking here. Support Protect the Wild SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

IT’S THE SMALL LIFE THAT MATTERS — FROM THE REWILDING INSTITUTE

REWILDING EARTH JOURNAL | January 23, 2026 Photo courtesy Coral Vita Episode 166: Coral Reef Restoration with Sam Teicher of Coral Vita Essential architects of marine life, coral reefs provide the structural foundation for a quarter of all species in the ocean. Yet half of the world’s corals are dead. More than 90 percent are on track to die by 2050. This Rewilding Earth podcast episode explores the frontlines of coral reef rewilding with Sam Teicher, co-founder of Coral Vita. We discuss the urgent shift from passive conservation to active, large-scale restoration — rebuilding the “blue heart” of our planet through land-based farming and resilient coral outplanting. Sam details the emergence of a new model and technologies to funnel resources back into the wild to repair mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, and the reefs that protect our coastlines. LISTEN NOW Photo by Franco Davico Rewilded Condors Find a Haven in Chilean Patagonia Three once-captive, now-rehabilitated Andean condors were released into the blue expanse of Patagonian skies this month to reinforce a growing local population of the largest raptor in the world. Researchers outfitted the trio of condors with satellite and radio transmitters to collect key data about their health and use of habitat. So far, the decade-long program has released more than two dozen condors in Patagonia, home to 70 percent of the Andean condors in Chile. READ MORE Photo by Linde Waidhofer “I imagine our future not in what life and beauty is being taken away, but rather I focus on the strategies deployed with speed around the world to counteract the loss of life on land and sea. It is not difficult to tear down an ecosystem, but it is complex and costly to rebuild one. This is where my determination and resilience springs from.” — Kris Tompkins Photo courtesy Fin & Fur Films LISTEN One last “in case you missed it:” Filming the Elusive El Tigre for “Borderlands Jaguar” with Austin Alvarado (Rewilding Earth podcast) TAKE ACTION Defend the ocean from offshore drilling (Center for Biological Diversity) Speak up for the Boundary Waters (Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters) READ Game-changing international ocean treaty comes into force (UN News) Tolerance for wolves increasing, study shows (Montana Free Press) Trump admin “deliberately” tanking morale to get National Parks staff to quit, official says in leaked tape (The Intercept) Era of “global water bankruptcy” is here, UN report says (The Guardian) GET INVOLVED WITH REWILDING This is a place for writers and photographers to share your work and reach a wide audience of committed rewilders. Check out our Rewilding Earth Submission Guidelines. For more ways to become involved, contact us at volunteer@rewilding.org. SUBSCRIBE DONATE NOW Facebook icon Instagram icon Spotify icon YouTube icon Photos by Coral Vita, Franco Davico, Linde Waidhofer View email in browser REWILDING INSTITUTE, PO BOX 13768, ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87192 update your preferences or unsubscribe

FROM BRITISH TRUST FOR ORNITHOLOGY — JANUARY NEWSLETTER

The BTO logo – Birds Science People View this email in your web browser Smew, by Sarah Kelman / BTO Dear John, Welcome to the Member Edition of the first BTO newsletter of 2026! The final week of January has been wet and windy for many. Despite this, we have received reports of singing thrushes, Great Tits and Dunnocks, as well as some early nesting attempts made by Robins, Woodpigeons and Collared Doves. Thank you to everyone who has been out surveying for us over recent weeks, whether that's for WeBS, the International Swan Census, the Winter Bird Survey or our other schemes. Every record counts and is making a difference for birds. In this month's newsletter you can learn how Heronries Census data are helping Little Egrets, and why Spotted Flycatchers are being lost from some areas but not others. Find out how you can also help us by classifying camera trap data or completing a questionnaire, and how you can help yourself by taking advantage of our next set of training courses. The Call We wanted to start the first newsletter of the year by sharing a reflection from one of your fellow members. Angus writes about his love for the wild geese that fly over his home in Carnoustie, Scotland, sounding a call that echoes across the ages. Read more We love hearing from our members about their experiences in nature and their thoughts on our work. Email membershipteam@bto.org to share your story. How many Little Egrets? Volunteers in the BTO Heronries Census are making a key contribution to the monitoring of our growing Little Egret population, as a new paper in British Birds reveals. Some 80% of Little Egret records reaching the Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP) come through the Census. The study demonstrates that the Heronries Census – coupled with additional RBBP data – can deliver robust estimates of the number of nesting attempts made by these relatively recent colonists. The paper includes an estimate of 2,236 Little Egret nests for the 2022 breeding season. We now have a robust tool through which we can monitor future changes in the Little Egret population. Find out more Little Egret, by Edmund Fellowes / BTO Help needed BTO Garden BirdWatch is working with the MammalWeb project, using camera traps to monitor garden wildlife. The project has accumulated a huge number of images, and we need your help to classify these. As an added incentive, beyond knowing you are helping important research, there's a chance to win a camera trap too. Every sequence you classify in the 'BTO GBW NE pilot' project during the competition period (from now to the end of February 2026) will count as an entry into the prize draw and one winner will be selected at random after the competition closes. Camera trap image of two Muntjac, by Mike Toms / BTO Enhancing our engagement work We'll shortly be sending out a questionnaire to members and volunteers. The results will help us to enhance our engagement with both new and existing audiences, as we seek to give as many people as possible the opportunity to interact with our work and the natural world. We believe this benefits both people and birds. If you are one of those to receive the questionnaire, we would be really grateful if you could spare the time to fill it in – it is anonymous and entirely voluntary. Latest News Understanding loss The Spotted Flycatcher is the most rapidly declining of our summer migrants, its population falling by 93% between 1967 and 2023. New research, using data from the 1988–1991 and 2008–2011 Bird Atlases, has revealed important detail on the link between landscape features (such as habitat change) and the loss of Spotted Flycatcher populations. Spotted Flycatcher, by Liz Cutting / BTO Arctic Skua status New research estimates a minimum Arctic Skua population of 185,131–395,315 pairs across Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Europe combined, but highlights a data gap for Asian Russia. Given this uncertainty, the species should perhaps be reclassified as 'Data Deficient' rather than 'Least Concern' by the IUCN Red List at a global scale. Arctic Skua, by Edmund Fellowes / BTO Featured training courses & events Bird Sound ID in Early Spring (common woodland birds) As we head into early spring the UK soundscape begins to erupt with a fantastic array of bird songs and calls. As wonderful as this is, it can prove a daunting identification task. However, it can provide you with an excellent opportunity to learn how to describe, visualise and memorise the sounds you are hearing as the season progresses. Our 'Bird Sound ID in Early Spring' course provides an opportunity to learn in a structured way, across two weekly online sessions and some supported self-study exercises. The first session explores the differences between songs and calls, and includes an interactive workshop to introduce and embed our ‘Describe–Visualise–Memorise’ approach to recognising and remembering bird sounds. The second session moves on to reviewing the self-study activities and some of the concepts covered in the first session, and we will help you hone your auditory ID skills by listening to some additional species. The course will be run by BTO staff Nick Moran, Jenny Donelan and Rob Jaques, all experienced birders, surveyors and trainers, and there will be opportunities to ask them questions during the live sessions. Please note that Bird Sound ID in Early Spring includes largely the same sound-related content as the Bird ID course that we ran during 2021–2024. COST: The programme of two weekly online sessions and supported self-study exercises costs £24. There's an option to add a donation if you wish to further support the work of BTO and are able to do so. If the cost is prohibitive, there is also a pricing option for those on lower incomes. Tuesdays 17 & 24 March at 7 p.m. Wednesdays 18 & 25 March at 10 a.m. Wednesdays 18 & 25 March at 7 p.m. Thank you for your continued support! Happy birding, The BTO Membership Team DONATE VOLUNTEER 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

AN UPDATE FROM FRIENDS OF THE EARTH

View in browser Dear John, It’s not long since we were celebrating a busy an successful 2025. But, 4 weeks into 2026, we’ve already got lots to tell you about. Read on for green fingers, a winter warmer and a way to show the love… Make the most of your small garden – online demonstration happening tonight Have you signed up for our free online gardening demonstration with Postcode Gardener Liz Moxon? Whether you have a balcony, courtyard or compact garden, growing food and flowers is achievable and deeply rewarding. This session will show how to make the most of your space – wherever you live. It’s tonight, from 7 to 8pm, and there are still spaces available – sign up now. I'LL JOIN THE WEBINAR Image of a gardener with text 'Growing and gardening in small urban spaces' Will 2026 be the year water polluters clean up their act? Last week the government published its new plan to clean up our polluted rivers, lakes and seas. We've known for years that businesses have been making huge profits while people and nature suffer. And we've been calling for radical change – but the plan didn't deliver. In a nutshell, the changes it suggested are pretty limited and extremely vague. A lot needs to change before the government launches its new Water Bill later this year. We're working with other environmental organisations to set out a vision for a real clean water revolution. We’ll set out our grand plan in March. Let’s make 2026 the year polluters clean up their act. Sign our petition telling the government to put clean water above private profit, now. I'LL SIGN THE PETITION A winter warmer The government has just announced its Warm Homes Plan – the measures it will take to bring housing in the UK up to date and safe all year round. The plan is a step forward towards greener, warmer homes in the UK. And it couldn’t have happened without the tens of thousands who signed our petition and wrote to their MPs, not to mention all the local groups who put pressure on local government and Westminster. This is YOUR win. THANK YOU. Activists stand in front of the Houses of Parliament holding quilted blankets calling for warm homes Read our summary of the plan and find out why we think it could do more for millions of people in the UK. Read the warm homes summary A reprieve for Indonesia’s rainforests You may remember our campaign last year to stop UK corporation Jardine Matheson (and its subsidiary PT Agincourt) expanding gold mining activity in North Sumatra, Indonesia. This area was hit by devastating floods and landslides at the end of last year. Thousands of people lost their lives and tens of thousands lost their homes. Deforestation from mining and other corporate activities directly worsened the impacts of these floods. So we were relieved to hear some promising news from our friends at WALHI – Friends of the Earth Indonesia. In response to this devastation, the Indonesian government has revoked the licence for PT Agincourt’s gold mine, along with 27 other permits for deforesting activities in the area. It’s an encouraging decision but WALHI has warned we must ensure it isn’t just a symbolic action. It’s calling on the Indonesian government to commit to ongoing measures to protect and restore vital ecosystems. Including a full review of all company permits in the area to stop destructive deforestation permanently. Show the love – tell your politicians what you care about The Climate Coalition is a broad group of social and environmental justice organisations unified by one thing: we passionately want to protect the things we love from climate change. This Saturday 14 February, the Coalition is encouraging people to Show the Love. Send a card – physical or online – to your MP, telling them what’s at the heart of your community. That could be clean air, warm homes or local green spaces – a short message on what you love and want to protect. It’s a powerful way to remind our elected officials about us, the individuals they represent. And what really matters to each of us. A graphic of two hands holding a green heart saying 'Save the date 14 February' Read how to take part The government’s climate plan – good enough, for now We took the last government to court over its dreadful climate plan, and you joined us in calling for a new, big and ambitious plan. Last year the government unveiled its plan and we've been studying it and considering our next steps – would we need to take legal action… again? Thanks to our hard work the government has been forced to move faster and further. This will lead to cheaper bills, warmer homes and thousands of new jobs. We would have liked to see more ambition. But the plan is significantly better than previous efforts. So we’ve made the decision not to contest it in the courts. But we’ll be keeping a close watch on the government. Its next climate plan is expected in 2027. And it must show real ambition this time. Renewable energy – countering the disinformation We’re hearing more and more talk from right wing politicians that renewable energy is unreliable and it “won’t be enough.” They say we need more fracking, more oil and more gas. But what’s the truth? Our fact checker explores the issues and counters the disinformation around renewable energy. It’s a part of an ongoing series exposing the disinformation spread by some right wing politicians about the solutions to climate breakdown. Read the facts There’s a lot to look forward to in the coming months, from action on water pollution and research on flooding to exposing dodgy timber imports. Not to mention the forthcoming local elections. We’ll be in touch soon – in the meantime stay warm and keep a look out for the first signs of spring. Thanks, Aleanna, Friends of the Earth About us Supporter promise Privacy policy Contact us DONATE This email was sent to spanishjohnedwards@gmail.com Want to change how you receive these emails? Unsubscribe from this list We send communications to our supporters who have opted in to receive emails from us. Friends of the Earth Limited. Reg. No. 01012357. Incorporated in England and Wales. Registered office: Friends of the Earth The Printworks 139 Clapham Road London, SW9 0HP United Kingdom Copyright © Friends of the Earth Limited

NEWS FROM BUGLIFE

Buglife Logo saving the small things that run the planet View this email in your browser Dear John Welcome to the January edition of Buglife's e-newsletter, BugBytes and a Happy New Year to all our supporters! We are back, keeping you up to date with invertebrate news, interesting snippets of information and so much more for 2026. There’s a lot going on, so let’s buzz on over and take a look without delay! The first invites were distributed last week and we’re thrilled by the number of our Members who have already signed up to join us for our Virtual Members’ Event. Tuesday 10 February 2026 from 18:00-20:00 If you would like to join us to hear about our campaigns and advocacy work, our work overseas, have an opportunity to meet some of the Buglife team and ask questions it’s not too late. Become a Member of the Buglife Community and not only will you help save the small things that run the planet but you could also join us on the 10 February! Join the Buglife Member Community Riverkin, restoring our kinship with rivers Monday 2 February will see us celebrating World Wetlands Day. Each year World Wetlands Day has a different focus, this year's focus is cultural heritage, and we've got a delightful pair of blogs heading your way! 📝 As a warm up join us in our recent blog, from Buglife Cymru Natur am Byth Scarce Yellow Sally Conservation Officer, Sarah, "Riverkin, restoring our kinship with rivers" as she explores the concept of restoring our kinship with rivers. Read the Blog The myriad lives underwater (Mayfly larvae) ©️ Sarah Hawkes This blog is also available to read in Welsh, “Riverkin, yn adfer ein perthynas ag afonydd” if you would prefer. Darllenwch y blog Stand with us to protect Loch Ness Local community groups and national wildlife organisations have come together to protect one of Scotland’s most iconic lochs and landscapes. Loch Ness in the Highlands is known around the world for its beauty and legends, with its waters and surrounding habitats supporting a wealth of wildlife. However, proposals for a new Pumped Storage Hydro development would see the destruction of ancient woodland and harmful impacts to the freshwater ecology of Loch Ness - and wildlife groups are looking for help to cover the costs of much needed legal advice and expertise to challenge the scheme. ✅ We want The Scottish Government to have the best information available, that makes it clear that there are critical impacts on both the aquatic and terrestrial environment of Loch Ness. We want an informed decision to be made that acknowledges what is at stake, from the permeant destruction of ancient habitats to changes to the entire shoreline of the iconic Loch Ness. Will you stand with us to protect Loch Ness? Protect Loch Ness A view across Loch Kemp with the words Stand with us to protect Loch Ness overlaid Since the start of our CrowdJustice appeal we have not only reached our initial target, but we are just a few hundred pounds from surpassing our stretch target. With an amazing £7,428 raised so far it is testament to how strongly people all around the country feel about protecting the special wildlife and landscape in and around Loch Ness. We would like to thank every single one of you who has liked, shared and donated to our current CrowdJustice appeal to date; the more funds we can raise, the better prepared we will be for the imminent planning inquiry. 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! Blue Ground Beetle (Carabus intricatus) © Laura Larkin Earlier this month we brightened up #BlueMonday with the relaunch of our Blue Ground Beetle (Carabus intricatus) Citizen Science survey! Blue Ground Beetles are very rare “blue bugs” and are currently only known from 15 sites in the UK; in Cornwall, Devon and South Wales. Have you ever seen what you think might be a Blue Ground Beetle whilst out walking? If you have a photo of it, no matter how long ago it was taken, we’d love it if you could share it with us! We are particularly interested in receiving more sightings and records from Cornwall. ℹ️ Good to know: The Blue Ground Beetle is a distinctive species but can be easily confused with other species of both ground beetle and oil beetles, make sure you check out our hand ID guide on our Blue Ground Beetle Hunt web page. Join this fantastic Citizen Science survey and, who knows, you might help us discover new populations across Cornwall, Devon, Wales or even elsewhere! Join the hunt Which bug would you like to see added to the directory next, there's plenty to choose from! Vote for Buglife! We're delighted to share that "Coal Spoil Connections ~ the legacy" has been officially selected and is an entrant in the Charity Film Awards! ❓What does that mean? Voting is now open and the most voted for films are shortlisted and then reviewed by a panel of judges. Wouldn't it be a fantastic end to the Buglife Cymru Coal Spoil Connections project to win at the Smiley Charity Film Awards? ✅ So, head on over. Check out the film and make sure you click that Vote button! Vote for Buglife Voting closes extended Friday 6 February 2026 so get clicking! Upcoming events Monday 2 February ~ Entographica – Insect-inspired Art Exhibition from the Entographic Collective (Bath, Somerset) Wednesday 4 February ~ The Bug Bunch! For Home Ed Families (Canvey Wick, Essex) Wednesday 4 February ~ Invertebrate Study Day with The Biological Recording Company (Natural History Museum, London) Thursday 5 February ~ Subterranean Harvestmen with The Biological Recording Company (online) Saturday 7 February ~ Trees, Bogs and Fun! with Buglife Scotland (Cumbernauld, Scotland) Tuesday 10 February ~ Bookworms! preschool story time at Canvey Island Library (Canvey Island, Essex) Tuesday 10 February ~ Buglife Virtual Members’ Event (online) Wednesday 11 February ~ Walk the Wick! New Year 2026 (Canvey Wick, Essex) Thursday 17 February ~ Mapping the Beetle Tree of Life with The Biological Recording Company (online) Sunday 22 February ~ Bee Bank Building with Life on the Edge (Prawle Point, Devon) Wednesday 15 February ~ Walk the Wick! New Year 2026 (Canvey Wick, Essex) Thursday 26 February ~ Shades of Grey: Industrial Melanism in Spiders with The Biological Recording Company (online) Wednesday 4 March ~ The Bug Bunch! For Home Ed Families (Canvey Wick, Essex) 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? New Populations of Rare Beetle Discovered in South Devon One of the UK’s most elusive beetle species, the Mediterranean Oil Beetle (Meloe mediterraneus) has been found at two new sites in South Devon by the Life on the Edge partnership project. The two new populations – at Coleton Barton and Little Dartmouth on the South Devon Coast – were discovered by local volunteers and project trainees on a nighttime survey run by multi partner project Life on the Edge (LotE) led by South Devon National Landscape, made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Mediterranean Oil Beetle (Meloe mediterraneus) © John Walters Read the story… Exciting new bee discovery on the North Cornwall coast Red Bartsia Bee (Melitta tricincta) © Paddy Saunders Red Bartsia Bee (Melitta tricincta) © Paddy Saunders The Red Bartsia Bee (Melitta tricincta) was found at Godrevy by local entomologist Paddy Saunders and Nick Holden from the National Trust. This discovery is likely the direct result of conservation work undertaken by Buglife’s North Cornwall B-Lines project in 2022 where the Red Bartsia plant was introduced to the site from seed harvested from a nearby farm. Surveys undertaken by Buglife and the National Trust at Godrevy Farm, near Gwithian have led to the exciting discovery of the nationally scarce Red Bartsia Bee at the site. Previously this bee had only been known from one other site in Cornwall where the first Cornish record for the bee in 20 years was made back in 2022. Read the story… Across the bay to Godrevy Lighthouse © Will Hawkes A buzz of hope: will you help the Tweed’s amazing pollinators? Buglife is encouraging everyone to play their part in celebrating pollinators and helping to connect pollinator-friendly habitats across the nation. In the face of growing threats to wildlife from habitat loss, fragmentation, climate change and chemicals, Buglife is calling on people across the UK to do their bit by creating pollinator-friendly habitats and adding these to the local B-Lines network. Every piece of land can help, no matter the size – from balcony herb garden or sprawling meadows. Bilberry Bumblebee (Bombus monticola) © Charlotte Rankin Bilberry Bumblebee (Bombus monticola) © Charlotte Rankin 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 shopping bag with a picture of a firefly on it a packet of native wildflower seeds Visit the Buglife shop Shop News: 🎉 Before Christmas we were delighted to launch our Bug E-Adoptions and they went down a storm! Available to purchase for yourself or as a gift to the bug enthusiast in your life, from just £15. 🖍️ Each virtual adoption pack includes a downloadable certificate, featuring original artwork by the amazing Alexandre Marrigues of Nera Studio, and a factsheet on your adopted species. Currently you can choose from: 🪸 Christmas Tree Worm (Spirobranchus giganteus); 🦋 Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae); 🧚‍♀️ Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum); 🪲 Common Glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca); 🐝 Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes); 🕷️ Zebra Jumping Spider (Salticus scenicus). Head on over to our shop to find out more and adopt a new friend, either for yourself or a loved one. 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 Donate P.S. Please note that we are in the process of transitioning to new processes and systems, hopefully this will be without “computer bugs”. Your patience and understanding are hugely appreciated during this move. 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 Member communications electronically following becoming a Member. Thank you. 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