THE BUGBYTES NEWS FROM BUGLIFE

Buglife Logo saving the small things that run the planet View this email in your browser Dear John Welcome to the December edition of Buglife's e-newsletter, BugBytes! Keeping you up to date with invertebrate news, interesting snippets of information and so much more. This month we’re taking a look at some recent news stories, project updates, upcoming events, and inviting you to join us in completing One Million Steps. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing interest and support of our work during 2025, and wish you happy and healthy 2026! The Winter Edition of The Buzz is here! This issue of our magazine for Community Members is a beetle extravaganza! Jam-packed with: 🪲 articles showcasing various Buglife beetle-y projects; 🎉 project celebrations; 📰 news highlights from the last six months; 😍 fantastic Community offers ➡️ and so much more! If you would like to receive our bi-annual magazine for Community Members please head on over to our website and hit that Become a Member button. We've got The Buzz, have you? Small sites, big losses: why changes to planning in England matter Earlier this month the Government announced major planning reform proposals that will continue the regressive narrative of pitting nature against growth, and hints at more green lighting of developments without proper assessments to come. 📝 Join us in our latest blog, from Buglife Programmes Manager, Jamie, "Small sites, big losses: why changes to planning in England matter" as he explores the changes to Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and the very real impacts these changes could have on our natural world. Read the Blog Swanscombe © Daniel Greenwood We’ve signed the petition to Clean Up Scotland’s Sewage – join us! Communities across Scotland are struggling with sewage-polluted rivers and beaches. Last year, there were over 24,000 sewage spills in Scotland. Because of poor monitoring of sewer overflows, we don’t know the true extent of the spills – or what’s in them. Now, we’re joining forces with the Clean Up Scotland’s Sewage campaign to clean water a priority in the 2026 Holyrood election. Join us by signing the petition to call on all Scottish parties to tackle sewage pollution and protect our right to safe water: 🔍 100% monitoring of sewer overflows 💧 better standards for water quality & sewage ⚖️ accountability for polluters 🌱 targets for sustainable infrastructure Clean Up Scotland’s Sewage 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! Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata) © Christophe Quintin CC BY-NC 2.0 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata) © Christophe Quintin CC BY-NC 2.0 Male and female Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata) are quite different in appearance. Male Winter moths look as you would expect a moth to look, whereas females are totally flightless with tiny dark-striped wings. This means they are easily distinguished from each other, but if you saw a female by herself you may be forgiven for mistaking her for another species altogether! 🪲 Which bug would you like to see added to the directory next, there's plenty to choose from! Browse the Bug Directory Exciting opportunities for the Buglife Community! The New Year will see us starting our first One Million Steps 2026 challenge and we’re inviting you to join us! Walk, jog, run, hop or dance your way to a million steps in 100 days. That's 500 miles or the distance from London to Zurich, Switzerland BUT it's just the 10,000 average a day; or, if you need another comparator or two: 🗺️ Brighton to Inverness, Scotland; 🚶‍♀️ More than 18 marathons. It really is something to be proud of and to add a bit more incentive you could help us save the small things that run the planet by taking part and asking others to sponsor you! Go solo or sign up with friends to support each other to that finish line! Take the first of One Million Steps… Giveaway details: As a thankyou to you, our supporters, we have a small number of FREE entries remaining to help you along your way. Just sign up via the One Million Steps website and enter the code buglife50 when asked for payment details. Get in there quick to avoid disappointment - registration closes Monday 5 January 2026! We’re excited to announce a new partnership between Buglife and My Charity Aid, an innovative initiative that helps raise vital funds for our cause. If you have a mortgage that’s coming to the end of its current term, or you’re thinking about switching to a better deal, this is a fantastic opportunity to obtain free advice. How It Works: Simply visit mycharityaid.uk and securely provide My Charity Aid with a summary of your mortgage information. Find out more ✅ Free Mortgage Review: My Charity Aid, through our partnership with Eden Associates, offers a completely free review of your current mortgage, comparing your existing lender’s rates with options across the whole of the market. ✅ Expert Advice: Their experienced advisors will guide you through your options, ensuring you make the best choice for your circumstances. ✅ Support Our Charity: For every completed mortgage that goes through My Charity Aid, 20% of the revenue paid by the lender goes directly to Buglife, helping us save the small things that run the planet. Surveying for the Maerdy Monster Millipede Recently Buglife Cymru Coal Spoil Connections Conservation Assistant, Ash, put pen to paper (or should that be fingertips to keyboard?) and wrote a blog about her experience of surveying for the Maerdy Monster (Turdulisoma cf helenreadae). 🚂 The Maerdy Monster was first discovered at Maerdy Colliery in Wales by Christian Owen in December 2016. It’s a relatively small millipede at around 12mm in length which was named after the Maerdy Monster locomotive, used at Maerdy Colliery, when it was an active coal mine. Find out more about this fascinating little millipede and the work being done to improve both knowledge and awareness of it and many other species. Read the blog Maerdy Monster (Turdulisoma cf helenreadae) © Liam Olds Maerdy Monster (Turdulisoma cf helenreadae) © Liam Olds The Buglife Cymru, Coal Spoil Connections funded project has now reached its conclusion, but what a project it's been! This Buglife partnership project aimed to better understand the value of coal spoil sites for biodiversity and engage members of the public on the importance of these sites and the benefits that they can bring both people and wildlife, and we're pretty sure lots of those boxes have been ticked. 🔎 Over the last 18 months there have been surveys, work parties, volunteer events, guided walks, collaborations with local artists, entertainers, community groups, schools, lots of cupcakes and they've even published a book! Now, as our final piece of this project, we would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on what the project has meant to you. 🐝 Did you join the Coal Spoil Connections team for an event? 📝 Have you worked with the team to carry out site surveys, or complete management plans? 🗣️ Maybe you've just seen our posts from the team on socials and learnt more about these fascinating sites and the creatures that call them home. 👍 Have you been inspired to visit? Let us know by completing the short questionnaire put together for us by project evaluator Catrin Evans Consultancy. Coal Spoil Connections Questionnaire Once you’ve shared your views, why not check out the beautiful legacy video, created for the project by the very talented Rodrigo Miguez. Upcoming events Wednesday 7 January ~ The Bug Bunch! For Home Ed Families (Canvey Wick, Essex) Tuesday 13 January ~ Understanding a Bee’s Buzz: Biology to Robotics with The Biological Recording Company (online) Wednesday 14 January ~ Wildlife Gardening Virtual Symposium 2026 with The Biological Recording Company (online) Wednesday 14 January ~ Walk the Wick! (Canvey Wick, Essex) Saturday 17 January ~ Scrub Management with Life on the Edge (Salcombe, Devon) Tuesday 20 January ~ Biological Recording 101 with The Biological Recording Company (London) Wednesday 21 January ~ The Bug Bunch! For Home Ed Families (Canvey Wick, Essex) Wednesday 21 January ~ Invertebrate Study Day with The Biological Recording Company (Natural History Museum, London) Tuesday 27 January ~ An ‘Alien’ in Antarctica with The Biological Recording Company (online) Wednesday 28 January ~ Walk the Wick! (Canvey Wick, Essex) Thursday 29 January ~ Entographica – Insect-inspired Art Exhibition from the Entographic Collective (Bath, Somerset) Thursday 29 January ~ Hay Meadow Restoration with The Biological Recording Company (online) 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. Advanced Notice ~ A date for your diary We are currently working on plans for our Virtual Members' Event 2026; an opportunity to learn more about current projects, future plans and meet some of the Buglife Team. Join the Buglife Member Community What’s the buzz? New data suggest that insect life continues to decline, despite a hot summer Did you catch Buglife Scotland and Northern Ireland Manager, Rebecca, talking Bugs Matter with BBC Radio 5 live's Laura McGhie earlier this month? Listen or listen again (skip to 3:09:47 - listening time approximately 10 minutes). The troubling extent of insect declines has been highlighted once again by the results of the 2025 Bugs Matter citizen science survey. The latest data show that the number of flying insects sampled on vehicle number plates across the UK has fallen by a staggering 59% in just 5 years. Read the story… Listen Now A buzz of hope: will you help our 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. Common Carder Bee in flight © Claire Pumfrey 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: 🎉 We're delighted to launch our Bug E-Adoptions! 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 Join the Buglife Member Community 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 © 2025 Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have previously opted in via our website, or kindly given us permission to contact you following becoming a Member, signing a campaign or donating to an appeal. 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. 4132695 | Registered Charity No. 1092293 | Scottish Charity No.SC040004 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

FROM PROTECT THE WILD — AN EXPANSION OF POWERS TO LIMIT PROTEST

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Stop a dangerous expansion of police powers over peaceful protest Send a free postcard to the Home Secretary PROTECT THE WILD DEC 30 READ IN APP The Government is quietly proposing a major change to civil liberties in the UK, and most people have no idea it is happening. Through secondary legislation, ministers want to expand police powers over peaceful protest by classifying the “life sciences” sector, including animal testing facilities, as Key National Infrastructure under the Public Order Act. That may sound technical. It is not. This change would significantly widen the scope for protest restrictions, surveillance, and criminalisation, not just around animal testing, but across a whole category of lawful, peaceful activism. And it is being pushed through without proper parliamentary scrutiny. This is exactly the kind of decision that should raise alarm bells. Why this matters to us all This proposal is being framed as an issue about animal testing. It is not just that. It is about whether the Government can quietly redefine entire industries as “critical infrastructure” to justify harsher controls on protest. It is about whether future campaigns, environmental, climate, labour, community, or social justice, can be restricted using the same logic. Once these powers exist, they do not stay neatly contained. History shows that protest laws are rarely rolled back. They expand, they normalise, and they get used more broadly than originally promised. This is a line that should not be crossed. Why a postcard, and why physical post matters We’ve already sent off tens of thousands of emails to MPs and Lords thanks to your incredible support and through teaming up with Animal Rising. Physical post is a brilliant way to get the message heard by the Home Secretary herself who has the power to withdraw the proposals. Postcards sent to government departments are: Logged Counted Seen by staff Reported internally When hundreds or thousands of postcards arrive at the Home Office, they create a visible, undeniable signal of public opposition. They take up space. They demand attention. They cannot be quietly filtered away. That is why physical post still matters, and why this action is so important. Send the Postcard A simple action that anyone can take We have created one clear, simple postcard you can print at home and send directly to the Home Secretary, urging her to withdraw this proposal. No campaigning experience needed. No complex instructions. No cost. Sending this postcard is free. You do not need a stamp when writing to a government department. Everything you need is included on the A4 page. How it works Download the A4 postcard Print one-sided Cut along the line Write the address on the envelope Post it That is it. The address and full instructions are included on the postcard itself. Send the Postcard This is how proposals like this get stopped Government decisions like this rely on silence. They rely on complexity. They rely on people thinking, “Someone else will deal with it.” But when enough people act, especially in a visible, coordinated way, proposals do get withdrawn. This is not about disrupting society. It is about defending a fundamental democratic right, the right to peacefully oppose powerful interests without being treated as a threat to national infrastructure. If you care about civil liberties, protest rights, and the direction this country is heading, please take five minutes to act. Download the postcard. Print it. Send it. And if you can, encourage others to do the same. If enough of us speak up, this proposal can be stopped. Send the Postcard SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM WILD JUSTICE — THEY HAVE LISTED THEIR ACTIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR - BLOODY WELL DONE

Good morning, Phew! 2025 has been another big year for Wild Justice, and none of what you’re about to read would have been possible without your support. Our small but hard-working team has been busy throughout, hitting the ground running in January and barely drawing breath as one season rolled into the next. Now that winter has come back around, it’s time to pause, just for a moment, to reflect on what we’ve been able to accomplish together. Here's our 2025 round up: January Our year begins with 50,000 signatures on our latest petition to Ban Driven Grouse Shooting. February We are granted permission for two cases to proceed to judicial review, one in Pembrokeshire (about planning permission for an outdoor centre) and one in Dartmoor (about overgrazing). March We win an appeal to have three further grounds accepted for our legal challenge in Pembrokeshire. Our Ban DGS petition reaches 75,000 signatures. April 100,000 signatures! Our Ban DGS petition is now eligible for debate in Westminster. We also cause a storm after Private Eye refuses to run more of our ads in their mag. May We win an appeal for our legal challenge against Natural England’s supplementary Badger cull licences to proceed to judicial review! We also announce a new challenge relating to the government's Planning and Infrastructure Bill. June Busy! Our Badger case crowd-funder reaches its target speedily (thank you), our Ban DGS petition receives a shambolic ‘debate’ in parliament, and our legal challenge is heard in Pembrokeshire. July We head to court for our case on Dartmoor, and the government announces an incoming ban on lead ammunition, after years of campaigning! August We begin an investigation into the unlawful release of gamebirds in southern England (report coming in January 2026). September We win our case in Pembrokeshire and the planning decision for the outdoor centre is quashed. We attend the inaugural Wild Summit event in Bristol and put on a phabulous show about Pheasants! October Another win! We shut down Natural England's attempt to hike our legal costs for our upcoming Badger case, winning a landmark victory for us and for future environmental campaigners. November Back to the High Court but this time we’re unsuccessful, as the court refuses permission for our challenge relating to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. We tried! December Our Badger legal challenge doesn’t go ahead as planned, due to a court administration error. We look forward to heading back to court in the New Year! We’re proud of what we’ve achieved this year, and although not everything went our way, we remain steadfast in our mission of being fearless in holding environmental decision-makers to account. Much of our work (although not all of it, by any means) involves taking legal challenges against governments and public agencies. This is a world that, to many, is intimidating, technical and costly. To Wild Justice, it’s become our habitat, and we spent more time in the High Court this year than ever before. We are fortunate to be represented by some of the leading lawyers in this field, who share our determination and provide us with unrivalled expertise and advice. Thank you to our core legal team at Leigh Day (Carol Day, Ricardo Gama, Tom Short, Tessa Gregory, Julia Eriksen and Madeeha Akhtar), at Matrix Chambers (David Wolfe KC) and Landmark Chambers (Barney McCay). We are also grateful to Alex Goodman KC and Alex Shattock at Landmark Chambers who represented us on our case relating to the Planning & Infrastructure Bill. Our biggest, and most important asset, is YOU, our incredible wildlife-loving supporters. Once again, this year you’ve helped us demonstrate what can be achieved when a small community of like-minded individuals stands together and fights together to give a voice to our beloved wildlife and the places it calls home. Whether you’ve been with us since the start, or found your way to us this year, you are part of the relatively small number of people who empower our work. Quite simply, Wild Justice wouldn’t exist without you. Thank you to all who have signed and promoted our petitions, filled in tedious and technical consultation documents, attended our events, shared our work, made a donation, written to your political representatives, tipped us off about unlawful decision-making, and cheered us on when others have sought to discredit and undermine our efforts. It is very much appreciated. If you like who we are, what we stand for, and how we do it, please consider making a small donation to help cover our costs. There are various ways of doing this, e.g. by cheque, bank transfer, or PayPal – you can find the details on our website here. Thank you. We wish you all a peaceful and wildlife-filled New Year and you can expect to hear from us early in 2026... Thank you, Wild Justice (CEO: Bob Elliot. Directors: Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay). This is the 259th 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 — BOXING DAY MEETS — IS THIS STILL A TRADITIONAL SPECTACLE

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Boxing Day violence and carnage for hunts across the country Hunt supporters 'letting the side down' as usual... GLEN BLACK DEC 29 READ IN APP Another Christmas holiday, another Boxing Day hunt. What was once the most significant high day in the hunting calendar is today a PR exercise for the hunting industry to convince their supporters that everything is going to be all right. The government issued its Animal Welfare Strategy on 22 December 2025. This laid out a pathway towards legislation that should be more effective at ending the hunting of wildlife, making Boxing Day 2025 all the more important for the hunting industry. The British Hound Sports Association issued its ‘no terriermen’ missive in the weeks leading up to the big day, after the Coniston Foxhounds and Teme Valley Hunt were filmed digging out a fox in November. Undoubtedly part of the motivation was to ensure that hunting had as squeaky clean an image as possible when it was most in the spotlight. Then, on 23 December, former Tory MP and hunting industry inside man Ben Wallace said Boxing Day is: “a chance to let people know what trail hunting is and for us all to demonstrate that we are the “good guys” while the masked sabs are the extremists.” Unfortunately for Wallace and his ilk, not everyone got the message. Unruly Behaviour In Bungay, Suffolk, hunt supporters became rowdy and attacked anti-hunting protesters. Footage shared with Protect the Wild shows one hunt supporter punching a protester in the face as the Waveney and Norfolk Harriers rode past: Meanwhile, Northants Hunt Saboteurs published a video of aggressive and bizarre behaviour by a supporter at the Cottesmore Hunt’s meet. It shows him shouting at and barging into protesters whilst claiming “it’s fucking amazing” to harm wildlife. Hull Wildlife Protectors reported on a similarly unhinged individual at the Holderness Hunt, who the group says directed “hate speech” at a man and his young son. Plymouth & West Devon Hunt Sabs reported that once-a-year supporters at the Lamerton Hunt meet barged into protesters and using “vile language” in front of young children. In one exceptional incident, West Yorkshire Hunt Sabs reported that hounds from the Middleton Hunt caused a pub wall to collapse onto a passerby. The sab group said the person “was thankfully uninjured”. Sabs didn’t escape hunt violence either. South Thames Hunt Saboteurs released footage of a masked figure at the Old Surrey and Burstow Hunt meet firing a catapult at the window of their moving vehicle. The projectile leaves a large crack in the window on the driver’s side as the sabs scramble to leave the area. Plymouth & West Devon Hunt Sabs said a Lamerton huntsman rode his horse into one of their sabs. And Somerset Sabs said one of its members also faced aggression. Whilst disrupting the Vale of Tauton and Banwell Harriers, the group said one sab was “assaulted” then “pushed back down the hill” as she tried to see if hounds were killing a fox. Unfortunately, wildlife were no better off either. Somerset Sabs’ report also mentions the Vale of Taunton and Banwell Harriers chasing a fox as well as deer, whilst West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs said they were forced to stop hounds from chasing a fox at the Boxing Day meet of the Warwickshire Hunt. North Dorset Hunt Saboteurs said it witnessed the Cattistock Hunt’s hounds chasing a fox on the day, and Devon County Hunt Saboteurs stated on the day that it had seen criminal behaviour by the Eggesford Hunt: Maintain Pressure Many sab and monitor groups reported that Boxing Day 2025 was a disheartened affair by hunts throughout England. With the threat of stronger legislation looming, the onus was on the hunting industry to try and present a respectable face that would justify its continued existence. Yet it seems there were plenty of hunts and hunt supporters who couldn’t keep their passions under control for even a day. That really provides insight into their actions when they are less in the limelight and further away from the public eye. Any new legislation is still some years off. It’s essential, therefore, that pressure is maintained and momentum continued in the fight against the hunting industry. Support Protect the Wild by picking up a Calendar! Now is perhaps one of the last opportunities to pick up our wonderful 2026 British Wildlife Calendar! For the next few days everything in our online shop is 20% off too so is the perfect time to treat yourself and help fund our vital work as we head into 2026! :) Support Protect the Wild SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM THE HUNT SABOTEURS ASSOCIATION — WITNESS THE END OF HUNTING

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter Witness The End Of Hunting: A Ban On ‘Trail Hunting’ The Hunt Saboteurs Association has produced a booklet titled ‘Witness The End Of Hunting’ which outlines our plans to stop hunters in their tracks or – at least – get them into court with a high chance of prosecution. In this third article, the HSA looks at our proposal to ban trail hunting for an artifical scent - animal-based or otherwise - to prevent trail hunting being used as a smokescreen for actual hunting. He can’t spell ‘liar’. When the Hunting Act 2004 came into force, the hunting community claimed to have created a new activity they called ‘trail hunting’. They offered no explanation as to how they had suddenly trained hounds to a new scent or even what that scent was. This allowed the creation of a ‘smokescreen’ to cover their illegal activities. Although the Hunt Saboteurs Association was the first to highlight this as an issue just weeks after the law came into force, it took other animal welfare groups over three years to recognise the law was being subverted. Hunts claim a number of substances are used, mainly fox urine which, although freely available on the internet, is illegal to import into the UK without a license. Other claims are fish oil, aniseed and even the terrier men’s own urine. Props in a performance: beagler displays jackrabbit scent © ACIG The leaked Hunting Office training webinar, published by the HSA in 2020, caused a national scandal and resulted in the collapse of hunting’s governing body. The discredited organisation – run by the same people and from the same premises – was then rebranded as the British Hound Sports Association. Hunting Office webinar on how trail laying can create a smokescreen. The webinar explained how to hide illegal hunting by performatively laying smokescreen trails in front of observers. Masters of Foxhounds Association Director Mark Hankinson advised attendees that: “It’s a lot easier to create a smokescreen if you’ve got more than one trail layer operating​ and that is what it’s all about, trying to portray to the people watching that you’re going about your legitimate business.” To prevent these activities, we are proposing the banning of trail hunting using an artificial scent, animal-based or otherwise. The government has committed to banning trail hunting in its manifesto – our proposal is the only way to eliminate this practice. Join the Hunt Saboteurs Association! Support our vital work by becoming a member. Join The HSA Spread the word! Please share our news Share via email Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Logo Copyright (C) 2025 Hunt Saboteurs Association. All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Hunt Saboteurs Association. Our mailing address is: BM HSA, London, WC1N 3XX, U.K. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

FROM PLANTLIFE — TEN GOOD NEWS STORIES

Good News For Nature View this email in your browser Plantlife logo - The global voice for wild plants and fungi Hi John, The festive season is upon us and it's the perfect time for reflection and celebration! As 2025 draws to a close, we've been looking back. And over the past 12 months, we've been at the heart of some wonderful wins for nature. We've seen wildflowers fight back from the brink of extinction, thousands work together to boost biodiversity in gardens and hope for some of our most vulnerable lichens. Join us as we take a look back at what went right for nature in 2025. Celebrate with us Here are 5 of our favourite highlights - but you can read even more good news from our Good News for Nature blog below. House We helped return a rare lichen to it's historic home FlowerOur No Mow Movement gathered global attention Deciduous tree We attempted a lichen rescue mission - to save them from a tree infected with Ash Dieback Muscle Our supporters helped raise the profile of grasslands proving people power works Construction sign Our Lugg Meadows Nature Reserve was protected from development Explore good news for nature None of this would be possible without supporters like you John. Whether you've helped us campaign by writing to your MP, ditched your lawn mower, donated, volunteered or simply signed up to our mailing list to help us spread the word - every contribution matters. Thank you. Charley Plantlife Nature Editor Follow Plantlife on: Instagram Instagram Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter YouTube YouTube LinkedIn LinkedIn Website Website Copyright © Plantlife All rights reserved. Plantlife International is a charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered Charity in England and Wales (1059559) & Scotland, (SC038951) Registered Company in England and Wales (3166339) Registered Office: Brewery House,36 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2AP, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1722 342730 enquiries@plantlife.org.uk www.plantlife.org.uk Plantlife respects your privacy. You can read more about how and why we use your personal data at www.plantlife.org.uk/privacy-notice Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

PROTECT THE WILD SAY THIS STOP THIS DANGEROUS LAW BEING PASSED TO BECOME LAW

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more A dangerous protest law was delayed. Now we must stop it PROTECT THE WILD DEC 27 READ IN APP The government is trying to push through a dangerous change to protest law that would seriously undermine civil liberties in the UK. It wants to expand the Public Order Act so that animal testing facilities are classified as “key national infrastructure.” That might sound technical. It is not. If this change goes through, peaceful protest near animal testing sites could be treated in the same legal category as protests near airports, motorways, or power stations. People could face arrest, heavy restrictions, or even prison sentences simply for demonstrating, leafleting, or holding signs. This is about shielding a private industry from scrutiny and silencing dissent. That is why we have teamed up with Animal Rising to oppose this proposal and why your action over the last few weeks has been so important. Thanks to sustained public pressure, including thousands of you contacting your MPs, the Home Secretary chose not to introduce this law change before Parliament ahead of the Christmas recess. That is a real and meaningful success. But it also means the fight now moves into its next phase. Where We Are Now What has already happened Thousands of people contacted their MPs opposing the proposal MPs from across the political spectrum raised serious concerns The government delayed bringing the change before Parliament before Christmas What happens next The proposal is expected to return in the New Year If it progresses through the Commons, it will face scrutiny from the House of Lords This is a critical moment where pressure can still stop or weaken it Why the House of Lords Matters The House of Lords plays a key role in challenging poorly drafted and dangerous legislation. Many peers are deeply concerned about civil liberties and the right to protest, but they need to hear from the public. That is why we have launched a new campaign tool that allows you to email members of the House of Lords directly. This tool is designed to be as effective as possible. It randomly selects a different peer each time someone takes action It ensures communication is spread evenly It avoids inbox overload and increases the chance of serious engagement Take Action Now If you have already contacted your MP, thank you. Now we need you to take the next crucial step. 👉 Email a member of the House of Lords using our new tool It takes less than a minute and it genuinely matters. Email the House of Lords Demonstration on 5 January We are also supporting the demonstration on 5 January, which will show publicly that opposition to this proposal has not disappeared over Christmas. Public pressure works best when it is visible. If you can attend, please do. We will share full details shortly. Join the demo Why This Matters to Everyone This proposal is not just about animal testing. It is about whether the government can quietly redefine peaceful protest as a threat. It is about whether private industries can be granted special protection from public opposition. It is about whether protest rights can be hollowed out piece by piece. The fact that this has already been delayed shows the campaign is working. But delays only become victories if we use the time wisely. Thank you for standing with us, and with Animal Rising, and for refusing to look away. The next few weeks matter. Rob Support Protect the Wild A reminder that our Boxing Day sale is live until the end of the year! 20% off everything in our shop! Pick something up and support our vital work fighting for British wildlife! Shop SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM PROTECT THE WILD AND GOOD NEWS FOR BROWN HARES & ANIMAL WELFARE

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more GOOD NEWS: 2026 is looking bleak for fox hunters And Brown Hares may finally get some protetction TOM ANDERSON DEC 28 ∙ GUEST POST READ IN APP As 2025 draws to a close, the coming year is looking bleak for supporters of hunting with hounds. Baroness Hayman of Ullock, the Minister for Animal Welfare, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the ban on ‘trail hunting’. Labour has released its new animal welfare policy, which sets out its intention to prioritise implementing a ban on the killing of Brown Hares during their breeding season, and to criminalise the use of snares. Meanwhile, in a move reeking of desperation, the pro-hunt British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) has advised UK hunts to separate so-called terrier ‘work’ from ‘trail hunting’. This about-face from the BHSA shows that the hunting lobby is worried about what the future holds. Wildlife defenders have been calling for an end to the horror of terrier ‘work’ for more years than we care to count. The Association’s surprise move is an attempt to pre-emptively save face ahead of the public consultation on a renewed ban on trail hunting, which is scheduled for early 2026. brown fox on brown grass during daytime nursing her babies, via Jeremy Hynes/Unsplash Labour pledged in its 2024 election manifesto to enact a new ban on ‘trail hunting’. However, the party has been dragging its feet since promising a consultation on a renewed ban earlier this year. In late October, Dame Angela Eagle, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, confirmed that the consultation on the new ban would take place in early 2026. Now, Baroness Helene Hayman, Minister for Animal Welfare, has reiterated Labour’s commitment to enacting a ban. She said: “In our manifesto we said we would ban trail hunting, and that’s exactly what we’ll do. There are concerns that trail hunting is being used a smokescreen for the hunting of wild animals, and that’s not acceptable. We are working out the best approach to take the ban forward and will run a consultation to seek views in the new year.” Her statement was rebuffed by Conservative politician Kevin Hollinrake (MP for Thirsk and Malton) and by the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage. Never one to baulk at blatant hypocrisy, Farage called the government “authoritarian control freaks”. He ranted on social media (missing the point entirely): “Labour wants to ban trail hunting. You might as well ban walking dogs in the countryside as they chase rabbits, hares, deer and foxes.” Ban on shooting hares during breeding included in Labour’s animal welfare policy Amongst other measures in its new animal welfare policy, the government says it will finally prioritise banning the killing of Brown Hares during their breeding season - a measure which has long been demanded by wildlife defenders. Labour Nature Minister Mary Creagh said: “Brown Hares are a cherished part of our countryside, an iconic British species, and it’s simply wrong that so many are shot during breeding season. I am determined to stop the decline of this wonderful animal.” The government’s stated intentions to restrict the killing of hares by creating a “closed season” are, of course, welcome. However, we would like to see an outright ban on shooting hares. Hare populations have declined in the UK primarily due to agricultural intensification which has removed diverse food and shelter and created monocultures poor in biodiversity, but they still face intense persecution from shooting, coursing, and hunting by beagle and basset packs. It’s high time we put a stop to the cruelty once and for all. According to the Born Free Foundation: “Numbers of brown hares…have reduced from perhaps as many as 4 million in the late 19th century, to less than 600,000 in 2022 based on British Trust for Ornithology Surveys. That’s something like an 85% decline in a century and a half.” Labour’s animal welfare policy also includes its intention to enact a ban on snare traps. Check out Protect the Wild’s petition to demand an immediate ban on these cruel devices. The British Hound Sports Association’s desperate bid to distance hunting from ‘terrierwork’ During the leaked Zoom webinars held in 2020, Mark Hankinson (then Director of the Masters of Foxhounds Association) described terriermen as the “soft underbelly“ of so-called trail hunting. Hankinson used the phrase because it is impossible to justify the presence of terriermen - whose traditional role is to “dig out” foxes - during a “trail hunt”. As the government’s consultation on ‘trail hunting’ draws closer, the BHSA has just got a conscience about terrier ‘work’. The Association has released advice stating that: “Hunts and Masters are responsible for ensuring that no terrier work or terrier-related activity is associated with a day’s trail hunt.” The BHSA says that hunts will be suspended from ‘trail hunting’ if they break the rules. The Association says that in the future ‘trail hunts’ should not be seen going out equipped for terrier ‘work’ with quads and terriers and that hunt staff should not wear masks (as terriermen typically do to avoid identification and prosecution) except for “safety purposes” or during “severe weather”. At Protect the Wild we see this as a purely cosmetic move by the BHSA, which is intended to influence the upcoming consultation and is unlikely to be followed through in any meaningful way. Terriermen are part and parcel of fox hunting. They can be seen following the hunt on quad bikes, wearing balaclavas and carrying spades. Their role is to dig foxes out who have gone to ground or to send dogs into their hiding places to flush them out. When they have been dragged out, the terrified creature is typically thrown to the hounds - as was the case with the Coniston Foxhounds and Teme Valley Hunt which angered the public after being caught on video doing their dirty work last month. Lake District Hunt Saboteurs’ video of the brutal killing went viral, triggering a police operation. 16 arrests have been made so far. The Hunt Saboteur’s Association (HSA) responded angrily to the BHSA’s announcement, pointing out the obvious loopholes which would allow for the regulations not to be enforced: “The latest reaction by the BHSA appears to be a ploy to try and legitimise themselves and portray a law-abiding stance. However with four times convicted ex-huntsman Julian Barnfield as the executive director, we expect this statement will disappear into the ether, along with their false threats of repercussions for hunts who do not abide by these rules. For every point they’ve made in the statement there’s a loophole, and these hunts have been functioning for twenty years thanks to loopholes in the current law.” Terriermen with the East Kent with West Street Hunt The HSA pointed out that the BHSA statement contains a get-out clause whereby hunts and hunt masters can avoid repercussions as long as they claim that the terriermen present were not part of the hunt. Bearing in mind that investigations by the BHSA’s regulatory arm, the British Hound Sports Regulatory Authority (BHSRA), are essentially hunters investigating themselves, we wouldn’t hold our breath for them to take action. Please check out Protect the Wild’s campaign to end ‘terrierwork’ here. While parliament is debating a renewed ban on ‘trail hunting’ and the tightening of loopholes on other bloodsports, wildlife is still in peril on a daily basis. Please consider joining your local group of hunt saboteurs or monitors in the New Year. Take a look at Protect the Wild’s factsheet on the Brown Hare. Sign our petition calling for a proper ban on hunting, and check out our proposal for a workable ban on the hunting of mammals with hounds. Use Protect the Wild’s automated tool to email your MP and demand that they ensure that Labour follows through with enacting a proper ban on hunting. Check out Protect the Wild’s 2025 report, ‘The True Face of Hunting with Hounds’. Image of fox nursing her cubs via Jeremy Hynes/Unsplash. Photo of hare shoot in Banham, 15 February 2025, courtesy of Norwich Hunt Saboteurs. Image of terriermen out with the East Kent with West Street Hunt via screenshot/YouTube. Support Protect the Wild with a small monthly donation We only ask for a few pounds a month because our strength isn’t big donors or hidden backers. It’s thousands of ordinary people chipping in small amounts. Together, that becomes unstoppable. Your support powers everything we do to defend British wildlife: undercover investigations, hard-hitting animations, fearless journalism, detailed reports, equipment and mental health support for activists, protests, and pressure campaigns that hold the powerful to account. Our goal is 100 new monthly supporters. We’re currently at 96. Can you help us get there in time for Christmas? 💚 Support Protect the Wild A guest post by Tom Anderson Journalist for Protect the Wild Subscribe to Tom SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

BOXING DAY HUNTERS MEET IN TOWN CENTRES

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Protests planned across the UK against Boxing Day Hunts TOM ANDERSON DEC 23 ∙ GUEST POST READ IN APP Mounted field riders with the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt gather in a town centre. As communities across the UK brace themselves for the annual display of pro-hunt Boxing Day carnage, many wildlife defenders are organising to resist. Protect the Wild has put together a handy list of the protests and events taking place to stick up for our wildlife. This list is a work in progress, so get in touch if we’ve missed out a demo in your area. For hunts, Boxing Day parades are a crucial public relations exercise. Pro-hunt groups like the British Hound Sports Association present these yearly events as a noble British tradition. The Boxing Day parades typically begin with a speech by the huntmaster and are characterised by pomp and silly outfits. However, this ‘time-honoured’ pastime is also marked by arrogance, drunkenness, violence and, of course, wildlife crime. On top of that, Boxing Day meets are notorious for causing havoc and mayhem on the roads and in residential neighbourhoods, just as people are trying to take some much-needed rest on the bank holiday. Polly Portwin, director of the pro-hunt advocacy group the Countryside Alliance, recently published a post on the organisation’s website saying that Boxing Day meets “offer the perfect opportunity to showcase trail hunting” She goes on to say that they also promote other (supposedly) “lawful hunting activities” too. Portwin even advises members of the public that they can stroke the hounds and horses if they want to. Boxing Day parades are a charm offensive by hunts, who spend the rest of the year terrorising wildlife with a cold disregard for local communities. At Protect the Wild, we want to take this opportunity to urge the public not to make themselves complicit in the cruelty of fox hunting by attending Boxing Day parades. Instead, we recommend attending one of the many protests being organised around the UK. This year, one local council has already passed a motion saying that the annual meet by Tiverton Foxhounds will not be welcome. As the UK moves toward a public consultation on a new ban on fox hunting in early 2026, we hope that people will be emboldened to organise even harder in their local areas too. South Dorset Hunt Boxing Day South Dorset Hunt Boxing Day - via Weymouth Animal Rights Protect the Wild’s Rob Pownall: “Boxing Day hunts are deliberately staged as tradition and spectacle, designed to normalise behaviour that would be unacceptable on any other day of the year. Resisting them isn’t about disrupting celebrations, it’s about refusing to let cruelty towards wildlife be rebranded as culture. When the law is weakly enforced and suffering is hidden behind ceremony, peaceful resistance becomes both legitimate and necessary”. Protests: Hadleigh: Suffolk Action for Wildlife will be protesting at 10am on Boxing Day at Holbecks Park in Hadleigh against hunting and wildlife persecution. Canterbury: East Kent Sabs will protest the Kent Hounds. Bungay: Action Against Animal Cruelty will protest the Waveney and Norfolk Harriers. Helston: West Cornwall Hunt Sabs will protest the Cury Hunt. Tavistock: Plymouth and West Devon Hunt Sabs will protest the Spooners and West Dartmoor Hunt. Tiverton: Local Independents for Tiverton will protest the Tiverton Foxhounds. Abergavenny: Boxing Day Protest Against hunting and the Monmouth Hunt. Cholesbury: Action Against Foxhunting is planning a protest against the Kimblewick Hunt on Cholesbury Common in Buckinghamshire. Beverley - Hull Wildlife Protectors and the Hull Animal Rights Team will protest the Holderness Hunt Boxing Day Parade. Kirkbymoorside - Action Against Foxhunting will be protesting against the Sinnington Hunt. Battle: Individuals posted on Facebook promising to protest a meet by the Southdown and Eridge with East Sussex and Romney Marsh hunts. Other events: Great Torrington: The Great Torrington Events Safety Committee is running a campaign against the Torrington Farmers Hunt and the Stevenstone Hunt. They are calling on their supporters to complain to Devon County Council, Great Torrington Town Council, Torridge District Council and the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner. Denbigh - Community members have launched a petition against the Boxing Day meet of the Flint and Denbigh Hunt. Easingwold Against Foxhunting on Boxing Day Easingwold Against Foxhunting on a past Boxing Day protest Don’t forget to put pressure on your local MP in the New Year too. It’s more urgent now than ever as the government has finally given a rough timetable for its long-promised public consultation on strengthening the ban on ‘trail hunting’. Let’s keep the pressure up to ensure that fox hunting is finally consigned to the dustbin of history. Use Protect the Wild’s automated tool to email your MP and demand a workable ban on hunting. Check out these resources from Action Against Foxhunting to help you challenge Boxing Day and New Year’s Day hunt meets in your area. Finally, why not make a New Year’s resolution to get involved with your local hunt saboteurs. Header image: Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt in Castle Cary on Boxing Day 2021, via Action Against Foxhunting. A guest post by Tom Anderson Journalist for Protect the Wild Subscribe to Tom SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM WILD JUSTICE — A DOODLE TO SEND GREETINGS

Good afternoon, Today, on Christmas Eve, a short newsletter just to wish you a Merry Christmas from the team at Wild Justice, along with a Christmas doodle from Chris: Packham does Picasso's Dove as the 'Eagle of Peace' - 2025 As we mentioned in our last newsletter, we were recently in London for our (since postponed) hearing surrounding supplementary Badger cull licences. Whilst yet another delay was frustrating, we still made best use of our time... We have been bringing the festive cheer to our friends at Natural England and the NFU - some of the forces behind the 240,000 Badgers culled so far. You can watch a short teaser video of Chris, Ruth and Bob delivering them an early Christmas present - click here or on the photo below to watch it. That's it for now! We'll be in touch before the New Year with a round up of Wild Justice's 2025. We hope you have a restful and enjoyable festive break. Thank you, Wild Justice (CEO: Bob Elliot. Directors: Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay). This is the 258th 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

IT’S BOXING DAY — SO HELP THE FOXES SAY PROTECT THE WILD

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Help animals this Boxing Day! PROTECT THE WILD DEC 26 READ IN APP fox laying on snow Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash It's Boxing Day! And to celebrate we are offering a huge 20% OFF EVERYTHING across our shop until the end of 2025 There is so much to choose from! And every purchase helps us Protect the Wild! No code needed, just add what you want to your basket and the discount will be automatically applied :) We really do appreciate you choosing to shop with us over the festive period, every sale helps put us in the best spot possible to begin the new year. And we've got huge plans for 2026 to fight even harder against those who abuse animals for kicks, so we truly value every pound that you spend with us. Shop now Just some of our work ahead: Pushing through a proper ban on hunting and ensuring the public is equipped to respond to the public consultation in record numbers Fighting to completely end the Badger cull and expose the Badger blame game Producing 20 animations covering a whole range of issues affecting British wildlife Releasing the biggest undercover investigation into the bird shooting industry in British history Launching national campaigns to end bird netting and expose the realities of the pest control industry Challenging the Guga hunt up in Scotland through protest and days of action Continuing to pump out content challenging and exposing cruelty to animals SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

PLANTLIFE THE GLOBAL VOICE FOR PLANTA AND FUNGI

View this email in your browser Plantlife logo Dear John Thank you to everyone who has already supported our rainforest appeal. It's inspiring to see this growing movement of people helping save our magnificent rainforests. If you haven’t donated yet, there’s still time to help rescue the UK rainforests, and their vital species, from extinction. Donate here. Right here in the UK, we need our rainforests, and their plants and fungi, to store carbon, slow floodwaters and clean our polluted air - but they can’t do that if they’re left to go extinct. In 2022, UK woodlands removed 316,454 tonnes of pollutants from the atmosphere, saving over £1.7billion in avoided negative health impacts*. Temperate rainforests are an important part of this. Rainforests save our lives – and now they need us to save them. We desperately need to protect biodiverse sanctuaries like rainforests because they support all life on Earth. Thriving ecosystems clean the water we drink and the air we breathe – so when we damage biodiversity, we threaten life as we know it. Think of what would be possible if our rainforests were restored and expanded. Join the national movement of people saving our magnificent rainforests by donating today. Donate today From all of us at Plantlife we hope you have a restful and celebratory end to the year. Alistair Whyte Head of Plantlife Scotland Photo on the left is of a waterfall in a rainforest and photo on the right is of lichens covering a tree Images: Llyr Hughes References: *Woodland natural capital accounts, UK – Office for National Statistics Follow Plantlife on: Twitter Twitter Facebook Facebook Instagram Instagram YouTube YouTube LinkedIn LinkedIn Copyright © Plantlife All rights reserved. Plantlife International is a charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered Charity in England and Wales (1059559) & Scotland, (SC038951) Registered Company in England and Wales (3166339) Registered Office: Brewery House,36 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2AP, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1722 342730 enquiries@plantlife.org.uk www.plantlife.org.uk Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

LABOUR GOVERNMENT TO BAN THE SMOKESCREEN OF TRAIL HUNTING

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter Labour To Ban The Smokescreen Of Trail Hunting Finally, over 20 years since the flawed Hunting Act was introduced, Labour has announced they will stop the charade of trail hunting. The ban is part of an Animal Welfare Strategy that is due to be published today and was a manifesto pledge of the Labour government. “Trail hunting” at the Beaufort just last week. Hunt sabs in the field realised within weeks of the passing of the original Hunting Act that trail hunting was simply a ruse to disguise traditional, illegal hunting. We spent the next fifteen years saving lives in the field and collecting a tsunami of evidence about the true nature of trail hunting. A tsunami of evidence: Coniston Foxhounds dig out a fox - November 2025. However, the decisive moment came in November 2020, when the HSA published leaked webinars from the Hunting Office in which leading figures from the hunting world tutored hunt masters in how to circumvent the law. Masters of Foxhounds Association Director, Mark Hankinson, described creating a smokescreen by pretending to lay a trail: “It’s a lot easier to create a smokescreen if you’ve got more than one trail layer operating and that is what it’s all about, trying to portray to the people watching that you’re going about legitimate business.” Mr Smokescreen himself. Ex-police inspector and Countryside Alliance Police Liaison Officer Phil Davies added: “Now you know more about hunting than the saboteurs or the courts will know but what it will do is create that smokescreen or that element of doubt that we haven’t deliberately hunted a fox, so if nothing else you need to record that and it will help us provide a defence to huntsmen.” Trail hunting is a smokescreen for illegal fox hunting. While Paul Jelley, leading hare hunter and another ex-police officer, suggested that hunts purchase burner phones for the purpose of concealing criminality: “So something for you hunt staff and terriermen, trail layers and everybody to consider, if you’re recording evidence for the Hunting Act, trail laying, whatever, don’t use the same phones or anything you’ve been using for social media and bragging about what you’ve been doing out hunting.” Following the publication of the webinars, trail hunting went into a death spiral: the Hunting Office itself collapsed, major land owners fell over themselves to ban trail hunting, and the Scottish government pre-emptively banned the practice before introducing its own revised Hunting Act. Today’s announcement is the culmination of that process. Environment minister Baroness Hayman of Ullock , who recently spoke at an HSA parliamentary event, commented: “In our manifesto we said we would ban trail hunting, and that’s exactly what we’ll do. There is evidence that trail hunting is being used as a smokescreen for the hunting of wild animals, and that’s not acceptable. We are working out the best approach to take the ban forward and will run a consultation to seek views in the new year.” Baroness Hayman addresses an HSA event in parliament. An HSA spokesperson commented: “We will anticipate a proper ban on trail hunting, which closes the loopholes in the current law and blows away the hunting smokescreen once and for all. We hope that the animal welfare reforms will not only contribute to the end of fox hunting, but also allow England to join Scotland and Wales in banning cruel snare traps. Hunt saboteurs have spent decades working in the fields, and more recently in parliament, to protect all animals harmed by hunting. Over the last twenty years we have learnt that hunters will stop at nothing to pursue their bloodlust - we therefore anticipate that there will be more work to do even when legislation has passed. This season has already seen wildlife chased and killed under the guise of ‘trail hunting’, a loophole that fails to prevent cruelty. A ban is long overdue to end the savage cruelty caused by hunting with hounds. We will wait to see the outcome of the consultation, but it is clear that far stronger measures are urgently needed to protect wildlife.” Join the Hunt Saboteurs Association! Support our vital work by becoming a member. Join The HSA Spread the word! Please share our news Share via email Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Logo Copyright (C) 2025 Hunt Saboteurs Association. All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Hunt Saboteurs Association. Our mailing address is: BM HSA, London, WC1N 3XX, U.K. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

FROM PROTECT THE WILD — TIME TO END THE BADGER BLAME GAME

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more It's time to end the Badger blame game for good ROB POWNALL DEC 21 READ IN APP This week, Protect the Wild has formally written to Angela Eagle MP, the Minister of State at Defra, calling for an end to the final badger cull and an end to the wider badger blame game once and for all. It matters. And it isn’t over yet. There has been progress. After years of denial, the Government has finally accepted something campaigners, scientists, and the public have been saying for a long time: badger culling has failed. The days of mass slaughter across England are coming to an end. But here’s the problem. More than 250,000 badgers have already been killed, and despite this, bovine TB has not been eradicated. New outbreaks continue to appear. In some cases, the disease has spread into so-called Low Risk Areas through the movement of infected cattle. And yet, badgers are still being targeted. The final badger cull is happening right now The last badger cull in England is set to take place in Cumbria (Area 73). This cull is being allowed to continue even though: TB levels in badgers in the area are low There is no clear evidence that badgers pose a meaningful ongoing risk to cattle The policy was never designed in a way that allows its effectiveness to be properly measured Rising cattle TB cases are linked to cattle movements, not wildlife In other words, this final cull isn’t about protecting cattle. It’s about defending a failed policy. Killing badgers didn’t work. Vaccinating them won’t fix it. The Government now says that badger vaccination will replace culling. But badger vaccination is being used as a political sticking plaster, not a science-led solution. There is no solid evidence that vaccinating badgers reduces TB in cattle. What it does do is keep wildlife in the frame and delay the hard work of fixing cattle-based disease controls. Bovine TB is a cattle disease. Its persistence is driven by: Known testing failures The movement of infected cattle Intensive farming practices and biosecurity gaps Blaming wildlife doesn’t fix any of that. Sign the petition Progress is welcome. But it’s not enough. Yes, we are closer than we’ve ever been to ending badger culling. But “nearly over” is not over. Allowing the final cull in Cumbria to continue, and replacing killing with badger vaccination, keeps the same flawed thinking alive. It sends the message that wildlife must still pay the price for policy failure. That is not acceptable. We’ve written to the Minister. Now we’re asking you to act. Our letter to the Defra minister sets out clearly why: The final Cumbria cull should be stopped immediately Badger culling must end permanently Badger vaccination should not be used as a substitute TB policy must finally focus on cattle, not wildlife Alongside that letter, we have launched a new public petition: End the Badger Blame Game Stop the final badger cull. End badger culling and badger vaccination for good. This petition is about drawing a line under more than a decade of cruelty, denial, and distraction. Badgers are not the enemy. They never were. If you believe it’s time to stop scapegoating wildlife and demand a science-led, humane approach to bovine TB, please sign and share the petition today. The closer we get to the end, the more important it is that we don’t let this moment slip. Sign the petition Help protect Badgers for good We’re funded entirely by kind people like yourself. We don’t have major donors or govt backing and so that’s why over the coming weeks you’ll see us doing all that we can to push our 2026 Wildlife Calendar. It’s just such a great way for us to raise funds and you get an awesome calendar in return! :) Packed with beautiful wildlife photos taken by our incredible supporters, like this one by Graham Brace for the month of September! Protect the Wild 2026 Calendar SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM THE ROAMERS - WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO WALK OUR RIVERS

Can't see this message? View in browser   The Right to Roam Christmas Film: Wild Service on the River Roding Dear Roamers, The Right to Roam Christmas film is launched! Recap of 2025 Right to Roam awarded TGO Campaign of the Year First Kendal group meeting A huge thanks to all of you who have followed and supported the campaign through 2025. It has been, as the cliché goes, ‘a year of highs and lows’, with a major victory at the Supreme Court, yet more shuffling of government ministers (annoying!), and further attempts by major landowners to chip away at the limited access we already have. With your help we’ve been fighting back and pushing forward. We end the year with a firm commitment from the government to introduce a Green Paper, which will explore expanding statutory rights of access (the first step on the road to new legislation), a bigger and more vibrant local group network than ever, and lots of exciting stuff already lined up for 2026. It’s going to be a big year. More on that in January. But for now: a treat – our first Christmas film! NEW FILM: WILD SERVICE ON THE RIVER RODING Many of you will know that last year the campaign published a book called WILD SERVICE: Why Nature Needs You (available at all good independent bookshops etc), highlighting stories showing how access can lead to guardianship of the natural world. One of those stories featured a community project on the Roding, a neglected river in east London which, in 2017, was squatted by the environmental barrister (and Right to Roam’s sometime legal adviser!) Paul Powlesland, as part of a plan to live among the reeds and defend the river’s rights. We felt this story captured everything about the spirit of guerrilla guardianship that we believe Wild Service represents. So, we teamed up with Paul and the now established River Roding Trust for a weekend of community connection and care. Filmmaker Connor Newson (lavandafilms.co.uk) came along for the journey and kindly put together this beautiful film: Wild Service on the River Roding. Watch on our YouTube channel HERE. CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR This week we were delighted to hear the readers of The Great Outdoors Magazine had voted us as their Campaign of the Year! We don’t do it for the awards but still, it’s nice to be recognised. It’s also a recognition of the thousands of YOU – writing to your MPs, attending trespasses and protests, signing petitions, donating to the campaign, sharing stories and helping flower a new countryside in countless hopeful ways. NEW KENDAL GROUP As mentioned, our local group network is growing from strength to strength (all power to Nadia, who is doing a heroic job holding it all together in the limited hours we can afford!) and we’re excited to say a new group in Kendal is forming. The first meeting will be held on Sunday 18th January 6pm at Fell Bar in Kendal. ------------------------------------------------ We’ll be back in touch in the new year, until then, enjoy the film and a merry Christmas from all of us at Right to Roam. Jon, on behalf of the Right to Roam team ------------------------------------------------ We’ve been campaigning for bold new access legislation for five years, and with the help of the generous support of a few hundred subscribers - each donating around £5-£10 a month - we’ve been mostly able to remain untethered to the demands of grant funding and fundraising. If you feel you could become one of our monthly supporters to keep us agile and focused, please head over to our website: www.righttoroam.org.uk/donate For the latest campaign updates, follow us on Instagram & Bluesky To get involved with campaign action, check out our website here. Want to become a Right to Roam supporter? Head here. 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 PROTECT THE WILD — WE CAN STOP THE DECLINE IN COMMON SWIFTS WITH GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Mandatory swift boxes under consideration? Even if they were, providing nesting sites would be just part of reversing huge declines PROTECT THE WILD DEC 19 READ IN APP An article in The Daily Telegraph yesterday titled “Houses could require special bricks for endangered species despite Chancellor’s fight against ‘green tape’ led with “Every new home in England will be fitted with swift boxes for nesting under government rules to protect the endangered birds.” According to the paper, “the swift bricks will be treated as a requirement for new homes and developers will be compelled to include them unless there are mitigating circumstances preventing their use.” A version of the same story was also carried in The Times. So, good news for Swifts on the face of it, especially given that it was just eight weeks ago that The Guardian was reporting that Steve Reed, the Labour Housing Minister, had u-turned “on support for bird-friendly swift bricks in new homes” and was refusing to back mandating fitting them to new builds, despite giving support while he was Environment minister. However, long-term Swift campaigner Hannah Bourne-Taylor was less than impressed. She posted a scathing rebuttal on Instagram that described the new policy as ‘meaningless’ and laid into the mainstream media, describing political correspondents as ‘ignorant’. She tagged a second post with “#Greenwashing #Bullshit”. So what is the truth? Perhaps unsurprisingly, we agree with Hannah Bourne-Taylor’s take. The Telegraph’s opening paragraph was misleading - not maliciously so but inarguably. Their article was referring to a 16 December government announcement on a consultation about the snappily named National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which runs until March 2026 and “sets out government’s planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied.” Through an accompanying pdf, the consultation seeks views on a revised version of the NPPF. Its scope is essentially opinion-informing, the government suggesting it might be used “to revise national planning policy to support our wider objectives”. Swifts are mentioned just twice in the 123-page consultation, and then simply as part of a proposed package of changes to support ‘nature recovery’: once on page 16 (“We want to make a number of changes, including to reflect Local Nature Recovery Strategies, to recognise landscape character and conserve and enhance existing natural features, to incorporate swift bricks and to provide guidance on sites of local importance for nature”) and again on page 100 (“Policy N2: New development should also include improvements for nature, through the application of biodiversity net gain where relevant, using actions from Local Nature Recovery Strategies, green infrastructure and nature-based solutions, and adding features for wildlife – with a new requirement for swift bricks in developments”). The latter is presented as a question with multiple-choice answers asking if respondents “Strongly agree, partly agree, neither agree nor disagree, partly disagree, strongly disagree” with the proposal as a whole - not about swift bricks specifically. So what is going on? How did journos from the Times and The Telegraph turn a press-release about a planning consultation into a policy announcement about Swifts? It’s not immediately obvious. In fairness to The Telegraph they have written about Swifts a number of times, but that doesn’t of course translate into actually knowing anything about these amazing birds beyond the headline statistic that severe declines in the breeding populations of Swifts in the UK led to the species being added to the Red List of UK Birds of Conservation Concern in 2021. Perhaps more likely, though this is speculation on our part, is that The Telegraph is generally in favour of relaxing rules on housing development. Its editorial stance and commentary frequently highlight what it labels Britain’s “mad planning system” and advocates for deregulation to tackle the housing crisis and boost housebuilding rates. While the article doesn’t lean into swift bricks ‘holding up development’ in a heavy-handed way, it’s not impossible to read it that way… birds flying over the street light during daytime Photo by Vika Strawberrika on Unsplash Swift bricks - an easy win for government Swifts, once very familiar in urban settings, screaming in loose flocks over rooftops before hurtling into tiny gaps under roof tiles, eaves, or soffits, have disappeared from towns and cities across the UK. Breeding numbers fell by 62% between 1995 and 2021, and that followed losses in earlier decades (it’s not just Swifts we’re losing of course: the UK has lost around 600 million breeding birds since 1980). Why the population has plummeted like this has often been attributed to the ‘tidying up’ of old buildings. Fixing holes, removing the spaces in roofs that Swifts used to nest, even actively blocking remaining entrances because some residents don’t like ‘the mess’ that the birds make, has undoubtedly contributed to the decline. An easy (and inexpensive) solution would be to put those ‘holes’ back - which is where the Swift bricks come in. Designed to replace just one standard house brick, they are hollow ‘nest boxes’ which can be built directly into building walls to provide safe, permanent nesting sites for swifts and other cavity-nesting birds. Current costs (which would surely come down if the bricks were mandated and mass-produced) is just £35 each. It’s hard to argue that mandating developers to incorporate one Swift brick into the 5,000 to 7,000 bricks that are used in the average house build would restrict the government’s loosening of planning regulations in any way at all. It is such a ridiculously easy win, it makes no sense whatsoever to deny themselves it. Yet, as Hanah Bourne-Taylor and the RSPB have pointed out, there is still no policy which legislates for Swift bricks, and as we are pointing out right now yesterday’s announcement was part of a consultation and ‘guidance’ not a change in the law Givernment graphic illustrating a ‘swift brick’. No, we don’t know why they look more like Sand Martins either… Declines are not down to just one thing though We’re all in favour of mandating Swift bricks. But we’re also not naive enough to think they are the sole answer to turning around the fortunes of Swifts. There are typically multiple reasons why a species is declining, and the fact is that unless other equally important problems are addressed they will make little difference. Call us cynical, but not wanting to do very much about these other issues may well be why governments have been reluctant to support such an obvious ‘solution’ as Swift bricks. Claiming to solve ‘one’ problem might just draw attention to the lack of action on others. Firstly, Swifts are exclusively insectivorous. They catch insects in the air. Older descriptions describe Swifts as flying through an ‘aerial soup’ of insects. They don’t so much as hunt down individual prey items as swoop through swarms of them open-mouthed. Only those ‘clouds’ are no longer there. Invertebrates like flies, midges, moths etc are disappearing even faster than birds like Swifts. These are groups that have traditionally been less well-studied than birds, but it’s clear that massive habitat change, the profligate use of pesticides (which despite the labels hit all insects indiscriminately), and climate change are having enormous and catastrophic impacts on insects. For a government wedded to loosening regulations to allow more development, which appears to be in the pocket of pro-pesticide lobby groups like the NFU, and which has done next to nothing about climate change (and even has pushed through policy adjustments on and delays to specific net zero initiatives), reversing insect decline appears to not only be difficult but off the table completely. And - critics will say - why bother giving Swifts somewhere to nest if they have nothing to eat… Secondly, Swift boxes are not a simple ‘Field of Dreams’ (build it and they will come’) answer to the Swift housing crisis. Like many birds, Swifts don’t just roam around the place hoping to find somewhere suitable. They are only in the UK for a few weeks of the year (‘our ‘Swifts’ are actually African, visiting us for very short breeding seasons) and mature birds in particular are site-loyal. If they have no ‘history’ of nesting in your high street, no longer pass your way on migration, and aren’t imprinted on your region, why would they come rocketing back there now? And if they can’t reproduce now, there will be no birds coming back anyway. This is the dilemma that explains why suitable habitat in the west country is no longer occupied by Turtle Doves and why so much effort has to go into translocating Ospreys to Poole Harbour. It is far easier to lose a breeding population of a species than it is to bring it back. It is (theoretically) possible to attract Swifts to new areas by playing recordings of them. Very loudly. And that’s the third issue. The general public have spent decades knocking down nests, blocking up holes, and complaining about birds waking them up in the morning. We may say we’re a nation of animal lovers, but the truth is that typically means as long as animals (including birds) stay ‘over there’ and ‘don’t bother us’. Those bricks will remain empty (or will alternatively be occupied by sparrows) unless the government makes an enormous effort to educate us all why Swifts matter and why they need our support. That will be far more expensive than manufacturing bricks, and will no doubt be left up to charities and organisations which are already struggling to sound the numerous alerts wildlife face. When it comes to the environment we see nothing but mixed messaging coming from the government and see little to suggest that will change anytime soon. On top of all of that, the long migration journey the birds undertake every year, involves crossing continents and navigating potential dangers like extreme weather events: research indicates that climate events like the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle and associated precipitation anomalies (e.g., severe droughts or heavy rain in Eastern Africa) can significantly reduce swift survival probabilities. The availability of airborne insects, their sole food source, is directly linked to these weather patterns, and the general global decline in insect populations due to pollution, pesticides, and habitat changes poses a major threat to swifts both in their breeding grounds and wintering areas. ‘Greenwashing’ So would mandating Swift bricks be ‘greenwashing’ (a deceptive marketing practice where companies falsely portray their products, services, or operations as more environmentally friendly or sustainable than they actually are)? It is critical that birds (all animals) have somewhere to breed. Providing nest sites is always going to be ‘a good thing’ and Protect the Wild unequivocally backs any measure that would help Swifts. But on its own, providing swift boxes is only a fraction of what is required. Unless we do something about the crash in insect numbers too, provide habitat for insects to thrive in as well, it almost won’t matter whether there are holes in walls for Swifts. And unless people are aware of what has been lost and want to turn that loss around - right along the vast migration routes these incredible birds follow - again, it won’t matter either. Environmental Improvement Plan Dec 2025 We are in the midst of biodiversity and climate crises, and they are NOT being addressed. If the government turns around and claims it is doing great things for nature without tackling all of the problems that wildlife faces - everything from habitat loss and pesticide overuse to scapegoating badgers and allowing rampant abuses by the shooting industry - then, yes, it could be accused of ‘greenwashing’. Will it make announcements that demonstrate a proper awareness of how serious these problems are? Will it turn ‘guidance’ into legal obligations? To be fair to the government, it did publish an “Environmental Improvement Plan 2025” this month. Within its 124 pages it does include a recognition of the value of nature (“We all need nature. It provides the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat”), but does labour rather hard on the financial importance of what they insist on labelling “nature services” and how “Nature is one of our greatest sources of national wealth”. It is also full of paragraphs like these two we found under ‘Planning and Planning Reform’ that read well, but either seem to mean very little that we find difficult to accept: “Our vision is for a planning system that delivers win-wins for nature and communities. The purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, which is underpinned by nature” “The Planning and Infrastructure Bill provides for the creation of a Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) that will ensure developments support recovery of protected sites and species. By unlocking the positive impact development can have on improving our environment, the NRF will help deliver our climate and nature commitments, while ensuring the planning system is clear, fast and cost effective for developers”. Either might have triggered The Telegraph and The Times into launching their alert about Swifts and swift bricks, but how often are Swifts and swift bricks specifically mentioned in this lengthy document? They’re not. Not even once. We seem a long way still from the government delivering a ‘win-win’ for Swifts, but we will keep pushing… I’m so pleased to say our 2026 British Wildlife Calendars are almost sold out! Featuring some beautiful photographs taken by our very own supporters, they’re proving vital in funding our vital work fighting for British wildlife. A huge thanks to every single one of you that has already picked up a copy! You’ve certainly been keeping us busy sending them out :) As an organisation that relies entirely on the generosity of our supporters, we’re genuinely grateful for every single calendar purchased. Each one makes a real difference. Produced by the brilliant team at Anglia Print using vegan inks and some of the most environmentally friendly printing methods available, we couldn’t be prouder of how they’ve turned out. 👉 Calendars are selling fast, grab yours today for just £7.95! PTW Calendar :) SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM LEWI AT MARINE CONSERVATION — YOU CAN HELP OYSTERS HELPING CLEAN WATER

A perfect gift for an ocean lover View in browser Native oyster reef on the seabed full of pink and orange vibrant corals and sea sponges Credit: Dr Jose M. Fariñas-Franco Hi John, You can still get the perfect present in time for Christmas Day! By making a donation to our appeal in the name of someone special, you’re not only gifting something unexpected but helping ocean heroes and their habitats recover from years of degradation. You can send one of our editable greetings cards alongside your gift to share even more festive joy. Give the gift of ocean recovery this Chirstmas Your gift will have a huge impact. A donation of just £9.72 could grow a dozen baby native oysters that have incredible superpowers. Oysters filter harmful pollutants, build oyster reefs which are home to an array of spectacular marine life, protect our coastline from flooding and storms, and much more. Thank you for your generosity and support. I want to wish you and your loved ones a fantastic festive break. Lewi Jinks Marketing Officer Marine Conservation Society Become a member Our shop Contact us Unsubscribe The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is the UK charity dedicated to protecting our seas, shores and wildlife. Marine Conservation Society | Company Limited by Guarantee (England and Wales) No. 2550966 Registered Charity No. England and Wales No. 1004005 | Scotland No. SC037480 VAT No. 321 4912 32 Registered Office: Overross House, Ross Park, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 7US. Scottish Office: CBC House, 24 Canning Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EG.

PLANTLIFE SAY IT IS A FUNGI-FANTASTIC YEAR

Marvellous mushrooms of 2025 View this email in your browser Plantlife logo - The global voice for wild plants and fungi Hi John, Fungus season is giving way to the festive season! Before we get into the swing of the holidays we wanted to take a look back at a wonderful autumn full of everything from waxcaps to Wood Blewit. We've had some marvellous mushroom moments in 2025 - so join us for a wild walk, grab a guide and let's celebrate our favourite fungi. Celebrate the fungi kingdom Over the last few months, we've been encouraging you all to get out and about to try to find bright and beautiful waxcap fungi, and survey them through our citizen science campaign, Waxcap Watch. This year was bigger and better than ever before – with our brilliant citizen scientists we tripled last year’s survey numbers (and last year was already record-breaking!).’ This vital data helps us track the health of species‑rich grasslands and protect the rare fungi that call them home. Whether you spotted one waxcap or dozens, your contribution matters. Whilst there might be a few late waxcaps still to spot, the cold frosty weather is bringing the season to an end. But there are still fungi to be found right the way through the year! From Scarlet Elfcups to King Alfred's Cakes - the winter is a wonderful time to explore the fungi kingdom. Everything you need to know about fungi Thank you for helping us give a voice to the fantastic world of fungi - we can't wait to see what 2026 has in store. Thank you. Charley Plantlife Nature Editor Follow Plantlife on: Instagram Instagram Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter YouTube YouTube LinkedIn LinkedIn Website Website Copyright © Plantlife All rights reserved. Plantlife International is a charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered Charity in England and Wales (1059559) & Scotland, (SC038951) Registered Company in England and Wales (3166339) Registered Office: Brewery House,36 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2AP, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1722 342730 enquiries@plantlife.org.uk www.plantlife.org.uk Plantlife respects your privacy. You can read more about how and why we use your personal data at www.plantlife.org.uk/privacy-notice Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

ROB POWNALL OF PROTECT THE WILD MEETS HIS NEW FAVOURITE MP TO BAN HUNTING

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Meet the MP leading the fight to end hunting for good ROB POWNALL DEC 18 READ IN APP Neil Duncan-Jordan MP might just be my new favourite MP. On Wednesday he very kindly invited me into his office in Parliament for a conversation about the work he’s been doing over recent months with the New Hunting Ban group, what he has witnessed first-hand out in the field with North London Hunt Sabs, and why he has chosen to bring forward a Private Member’s Bill as part of the wider effort to finally end hunting with hounds. We discussed how the Bill is intended to support the overall campaign by applying pressure on the Government and helping to shape what effective, loophole-free legislation should look like, rather than being the legislative vehicle in its own right. The focus is on maintaining momentum and ensuring that the promised reform is delivered in a meaningful way. It was genuinely encouraging to hear directly from an MP who is taking this issue seriously and using every available parliamentary tool to help bring hunting with hounds to an end for good. We expect a public consultation on the issue of hunting with hounds to be launched in the coming months and we will of course keep you fully updated with how best to respond to it. Support Protect the Wild with a small monthly donation We only ask for a few pounds a month because our strength isn’t big donors or hidden backers. It’s thousands of ordinary people chipping in small amounts. Together, that becomes unstoppable. Your support powers everything we do to defend British wildlife: undercover investigations, hard-hitting animations, fearless journalism, detailed reports, equipment and mental health support for activists, protests, and pressure campaigns that hold the powerful to account. Our goal is 100 new monthly supporters. We’re currently at 49. Can you help us get there? 💚 Support Protect the Wild SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

FROM PROTECT THE WILD — IS GOVERNMENT TRYING TO OUTLAW PROTEST? AN INTERESTING READ

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more This Law Should Terrify Anyone Who Values the Right to Protest ROB POWNALL DEC 17 READ IN APP This afternoon’s parliamentary debate (watch in full here) on the government’s proposal to expand the Public Order Act to classify animal testing sites as key national infrastructure was, in equal measure, encouraging and deeply frustrating. I attended the legislative committee debate in person, and what unfolded was something genuinely unusual and revealing. Despite the fact that these committee sessions typically last no more than ten minutes, today’s debate ran for one hour and ten minutes, driven by sustained, forceful opposition from MPs across the political spectrum. One MP said to me on the way out that it is very unusual for such a debate to attract the sort of attention we saw. That alone tells you something important. Momentum is growing behind the campaign to stop this ill-thought-through and dangerous expansion of protest laws. You can watch my 60 second recap of the situation prior to the debate above. Contact your MP An Unprecedented Level of Opposition It is extremely rare for so many MPs to turn up to a legislation committee meeting, let alone to do so with the clear intention of opposing the government’s proposals. Yet today, MP after MP voiced serious concerns about the necessity, proportionality, and implications of this change. The repeated point, made by MPs from multiple parties, was strikingly consistent. There is already extensive legislation available to deal with protests deemed disruptive or problematic. There is no legislative gap. There is no emergency. There is no evidence-based need for this change. And yet, despite this, the government is attempting to rush through a significant expansion of the Public Order Act. A Minister Without Answers The Labour minister, Sarah Jones MP, appeared visibly flustered throughout the session and, in all honesty, failed to adequately address, let alone properly answer, a host of fair and reasonable questions put to her. One particularly serious concern raised was whether classifying animal testing facilities as key national infrastructure could prevent staff at those facilities from legally striking on their own premises. That question was never clearly answered. Another major contradiction was repeatedly highlighted. The government has openly conceded that it is still waiting for a formal review into how the Public Order Act is currently being enforced by police, and yet, before that review has even been assessed, it is seeking to dramatically broaden the scope of the legislation. As John McDonnell MP rightly pointed out, this makes no sense. I’ve included a short segment of John’s speech below that does a great job in getting across the sheer ridiculousness of the Government’s proposals and what it could mean for protest rights. Contact your MP Exposing the Illogic at the Heart of the Proposal Rachael Maskell MP articulated one of the most powerful arguments of the afternoon. She questioned why, if the government is so fixated on the need to respond quickly to a future pandemic and vaccine development, it believes further anti-protest powers are necessary at all, when during COVID people were placed in lockdown anyway. She also cut to the heart of the matter with a simple truth. The country will not grind to a halt because someone holds a sign with a rabbit on it asking that that rabbit not be injected with disease. That statement exposed just how disproportionate and absurd this proposal truly is. Mixed Messages, Corporate Appeasement Perhaps the most damning contradiction of all is this. On the one hand, the government has released a so-called “roadmap” to ending animal testing, with no firm dates, no binding commitments, and no meaningful accountability. On the other hand, it is now telling the public that if they dare protest animal testing facilities, they could face up to a year in prison. These two positions cannot coexist logically. What is clear is that the government is bending over backwards to appease pharmaceutical giants, while simultaneously doing everything it can to suppress the public’s right to peaceful protest. That should alarm anyone who cares about civil liberties, whether or not they oppose animal testing. A Vote Passed, But the Fight Is Far From Over Despite the strength of opposition, the amendment did pass at this stage (10-2 was the official result by the committee) and will now move to the next phase. However, this is not the end. We expect a sympathetic MP to formally object to the amendment in Parliament tomorrow. If that happens, it will force the issue into a full Parliamentary vote, likely to take place in the New Year. That gives us just a matter of weeks to act. Contact your MP Why This Matters to Everyone This is bigger than a campaign against animal testing. This is about whether a private industry can be elevated into the same legal category as airports, motorways, and energy infrastructure, simply to shield it from protest. It is about whether governments can quietly redefine dissent as disruption. It is about whether our right to protest can be hollowed out piece by piece. Some of the statements made by MPs today were so damning that the chair of the committee felt compelled to note that comments were “just within” acceptable boundaries, a clear indication of the strength of feeling in the room. And that is why, despite everything, I left with a sense of hope. Enough MPs understand how dangerous this path is. Enough MPs are clearly uncomfortable with what the government is trying to do. And enough MPs may yet be prepared to do the right thing when this comes before Parliament. What Happens Next The task now is clear. We must use the coming weeks to: Make this issue known as widely as possible Expose the contradiction and injustice at the heart of the proposal Urge MPs to vote against this amendment when it comes before the House Every individual, every organisation, every group that cares about basic civil liberties must oppose this tooth and nail. Finally, I want to thank those MPs who took the time to attend Committee Room 12 this afternoon and put on the public record just how ridiculous, and dangerous, this proposal truly is. The fight is not over and we cannot afford to look away now. In just the last 24 hours, over 13,000 of you have signed the petition calling on your MP to oppose this law change. If you have not yet taken action, please do so now. Contact your MP I spoke to Sole from Camp Beagle directly after today’s events to get her thoughts on where we’re at and what needs to happen next. Please show love and support to the brilliant organisations tackling animal testing, Animal Rising, Camp Beagle, Naturewatch Foundation but to name a few. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

CHRIS PACKHAM OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT WITH BOB ELLIOT & RUTH TINGAY RE CANCELLED COURT HEARING

Good afternoon, In today’s newsletter – an update on Badgers; our legal challenge has been put into hibernation... As you know, we were expecting to be in court on Tuesday and Wednesday this week for our long-awaited legal challenge against Natural England’s supplementary Badger cull licences. Well… we’re going to be waiting for a bit longer. On Tuesday (when we were supposed to be at the High Court) it was confirmed that there’d been a court administrative error, meaning our case had not being listed to be heard this week. Although the court attempted to find a last-minute judge to preside, it just wasn’t possible at such short notice. So, we’ve been told the case will now be relisted ‘sometime in the new year’ (how far into it, we don’t yet know). Whilst it is disappointing to have had our plans disrupted at such short notice, we still made sure to make use of our time in London. All three of us have been busy, planning, strategising, and… touring around with something large and furry. We’ll reveal more soon… P.S. No, we haven’t bought a van – photoshop is a powerful thing – but the large and furry thing is not photoshopped. P.P.S. Chris is keen to point out that Badgers do not in fact hibernate, rather they go into winter torpor. Wild Justice (CEO: Bob Elliot. Directors: Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay). This is the 257th 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

DRONE FOOTAGE OF ILLEGAL ACTION BY BEAUFORT HUNT BY THE AMAZING HUNT SABS OF WILTSHIRE

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter Beaufort Busted By Wiltshire Hunt Sabs! Another week, another sab group captures extraordinary drone footage of the illegal fox hunting that is rampant across the country. This time, it was the Gloucestershire-based Beaufort Hunt – who used to count King Charles and Camilla amongst their riders – who were caught out by Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs. The footage, shot near Chippenham last Thursday, shows a fox being hunted hard over a sustained period. In heart-in-the-mouth scenes, the brave animal repeatedly seeks refuge in strips of woodland, only to be surrounded by the baying pack. On three separate occasions – and with the hounds just inches away – she breaks for freedom and the gruelling chase resumes. Break for freedom: the brave fox makes her escape. Throughout, Beaufort Hunt staff and riders can be seen jostling for a better view of the terrified animal. Beaufort Hunt riders enjoy the pursuit of the fox. Drone Pilot Under Attack The footage is all the more remarkable because, throughout the whole episode, the drone pilot was under attack from Beaufort Hunt thugs who tried to enter their vehicle. The cool-headed sab commented: "Last Thursday was the seventh time in this season alone that I filmed the Beaufort hunting a fox. Sadly, the circumstances were particularly dire, as only a single saboteur was out on foot and still far away, meaning that all I could do was watch as the hunters made every attempt to encourage their hounds to tear this beautiful animal apart alive for their putrid, psychotic pleasure. While this was happening, I was intimidated and threatened by both hunt staff and support who tried to gain access to the car in order to get me to stop recording, knowing full well that the chase was now being filmed.” The Beaufort’s Pound-shop Darth Vader tries to intimidate sab drone pilot. Bin-Bag Beaufort This latest footage comes less than two weeks after Wiltshire Hunt Sabs filmed the Beaufort killing a fox and then stuffing her broken body – the evidence of their criminality – into a black bin-bag carried by the whipper-in for that very purpose. The Beaufort Hunt is a large, wealthy organisation that will stop at nothing to prevent scrutiny of its activities. Last year, they made national headlines by downing and stealing another Wiltshire Hunt Sabs drone and, in recent weeks, they have employed a gang of creepy stalkers to harass hunt sabs and conceal evidence of illegal fox hunting. Beaufort whipper-in stuffs his victim into a bin-bag. Weeks before the government consultation on so-called trail hunting, dedicated hunt sabs have landed yet another hammer-blow against the fox hunters. Thanks to the presence of Wiltshire Hunt Sabs, the fox was eventually able to escape her tormentors. You can support them here. Support Wiltshire Hunt Sabs: Donate Follow Join the Hunt Saboteurs Association! Support our vital work by becoming a member. Join The HSA Spread the word! Please share our news Share via email Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Logo Copyright (C) 2025 Hunt Saboteurs Association. All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Hunt Saboteurs Association. Our mailing address is: BM HSA, London, WC1N 3XX, U.K. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe