Community action on biodiversity UK
The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of UK community agency networks (CANs) and community groups undertaking or involved in Community action on biodiversity. Learn about how communities positively impact through innovations, different projects and collaborations.
News
Restoration is helping native raptors thrive in Scotland, report shows, positive.news (Jan 28, 2025) - New insect corridor created to boost nature, BBC News (Jan 23, 2025)
- The UK’s international commitments on climate and nature could soon become law – and better protect our environment, theconversation.com (Jan 22, 2025) — Climate and Nature Bill (CAN Bill), includes a climate and nature citizens’ assembly
Video
Events
Apr 22 - 29, 2024 (Mon - Mon) — Good to Grow Week, community gardens event to inspire and engage the next generation of growers, attract more volunteers to your project and connect your community to the wider movement, goodtogrowuk.org- Jul 12 - Aug 4, 2024 (Fri - Sun) — Big Butterfly Count, bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org
- Jan 24 - 26, 2025 (Fri - Sun) — Big Garden Birdwatch, the world's biggest wildlife survey according to the RSPB, helping to get a better knowledge on bird population trends in Britain, rspb.org.uk
Networks, alliances and support organisations
- Amphibian and Reptile Groups of the UK
- Animal Aid, animal rights organisation. The group campaigns peacefully against all forms of animal abuse - including the consumption of animals as food and their use for medical research - and promotes a cruelty-free lifestyle. It also investigates and exposes animal cruelty.
- Bat Conservation Trust
- British Trust for Ornithology
- Buglife, British based nature conservation charity headquartered in Cambridgeshire, England with additional offices in Scotland and South West England. Its aim is to prevent invertebrate extinctions and to maintain sustainable populations of invertebrates in the United Kingdom.
- Bumblebee Conservation Trust, organisation that makes efforts to conserve bumblebees and their habitat.
- Butterfly Conservation
- The Conservation Volunteers, organisation that works to facilitate environmental conservation through practical tasks undertaken by volunteers
- Flora locale
- Freshwater Habitats Trust
- Landlife
- England's National Nature Reserves by region
- Orchard Network
- Plantlife, wild plant conservation charity
- Wildlife and Countryside Link brings together voluntary organizations in the UK to protect and enhance wildlife, landscape and the marine environment and to further the quiet enjoyment and appreciation of the countryside. Link currently has 40 members who collectively have the help of 170,000 volunteers, employ 9,600 full-time staff, and claim the support of over 8 million people in the UK.
- National Nature Service, added 15:43, 3 October 2020 (UTC)
- The Wildlife Trusts, organisation made up of 47 local Wildlife Trusts in the United Kingdom plus the Isle of Man and Alderney, who, between them, look after around 2,300 nature reserves covering more than 90,000 hectares. As of 2011 they have a combined membership of over 800,000 members. Video: The Wildlife Trusts channel on youtube.com
Community action projects
- Rewilding projects which have community involvement.
- Postcode gardeners, How hiring a postcode gardener can bring nature back to your street, /experiments.friendsoftheearth.uk
Citizens data initiative
- Do you live in a pollution hotspot? Interactive map showing pollution hotspots, across England: (from) friendsoftheearth.uk, added 14:49, 3 September 2024 (UTC)
- BirdTrack
- England biodiversity indicators, National Statistics, GOV.UK
- Nature's Calendar, Woodland Trust site to help see the effects of global warming on Nature's Calendar
Maps
- B-Lines, regional maps from buglife.org.uk, added 17:00, 17 May 2022 (UTC)
- Magic, geographic information about the natural environment from across government.
- Interactive map of designations in England from sketchmap.co.uk, including National Nature Reserves boundaries (select 'Nature Reserves' in UK map layers)
Research
- Climate change-biodiversity interactions, Research Briefing, Feb 27, 2020...post.parliament.uk/research-briefings, added 08:43, 16 April 2021 (UTC)
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology , United Kingdom's Centre of Excellence for integrated research in hydrology, terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems and their interaction with the atmosphere.
Other resources
- Nextdoor Nature Hub, website from The Wildlife Trusts to help you to help nature in your community. added 20:08, 11 October 2023 (UTC)
- Take action for nature in your community, information from the RSPB, rspb.org.uk, added 15:37, 20 March 2023 (UTC)
- Countryside Survey, 2007
- Environment Agency, information from GOV.UK. Non-departmental public body, sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), with responsibilities relating to the protection and enhancement of the environment in England
- How to include wildlife in Neighbourhood Plans, sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk
- Natural England, information from GOV.UK. Non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved. It also has a responsibility to help people enjoy, understand and access the natural environment.
- Wild About Gardens
Video archive
- 'Last fireworks of summer' - Common and Greater Knapweed, Sep 1, 2015 on youtube.com
Peoples Plan for Nature
- The People’s Plan For Nature has finally landed - seeking a “Union” of forces, to ensure nature is at the heart of all policy, The Daily Alternative (Mar 25, 2023)
- People’s Plan for Nature arrives, saveourwildisles.org.uk (Mar 23, 2023) — A world-first, a plan created for the people, by the people of the UK – a vision for the future of nature, and the actions we must all take to protect and renew it.
The article below (to date, March 29, 2023) is mostly a summary and outline of the process by which the plan came about. To support the plan, and add your voice, go to the participation sections of saveourwildisles.org.uk. Their 'Take action' menu for example, leads to a section on "In Your Community"...
"unique collaboration with the UK public to protect and restore nature in the UK"
The National Trust, the RSPB and WWF are (September 2022) launching the People's Plan for Nature, inviting the nation to have its say on how the UK solves the ongoing nature crisis. Through both a UK-wide conversation and the UK's first ever citizens' assembly for nature, the charities are inviting people to share their ideas and together develop a set of public demands to tackle the nature crisis.
Nature recovery network
- Nature Recovery Network, Policy paper, Updated 11 November 2020 gov.uk
- Nature Recovery Network, wildlifetrusts.org
National nature reserves in England
National nature reserves in England are designated by Natural England as key places for wildlife and natural features in England. They were established to protect the most significant areas of habitat and of geological formations. NNRs are managed on behalf of the nation, many by Natural England itself, but also by non-governmental organisations, including the members of The Wildlife Trusts partnership, the National Trust, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
There are 221 NNRs in England covering 1,100 square kilometres (420 square miles). Often they contain rare or nationally important populations of species, such as birds, plants, insects, reptiles and mammals.
Campaigns
- Save Our Wild Isles, joint campaign by the National Trust, the RSPB and WWF, added 15:47, 20 March 2023 (UTC)
- Save our roadside flowers, littlegreenspace.org.uk
See also: Ethical consumerism UK, Food activism UK
local information can be found, or shared, via our many UK location pages