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Drought Could Leave Britain's Butterflies Fighting For Survival Next Summer, Warns Butterfly Conservation

The results of Butterfly Conservation's 2026 Big Butterfly Count are in and show it was a very good summer for butterflies. But experts warn that despite a good year, what comes next could be dire...

P.ublished 16th September 2026

Three Tiny “Chaos Potatoes” Born At Chester Zoo Have A Surprising Family Connection With Elephants

Rock Hyrax Photo:© Chester Zoo

Three rock hyrax pups have been born at Chester Zoo - tiny, potato-shaped animals with a surprising connection to some of the biggest animals on the planet. Born to parents Maris and Albert in late summer, the three pups have just passed their first vet check with a clean bill of health. The litter includes two boys and one girl, and the pups have been named Russ, Spud and Jackie.

P.ublished 12th September 2026

Think Big - British Garden Centres' Guide On How To Use Big Plants In Small Spaces

Fatsia Japonica Photo: BGC

Scroll through any Instagram feed or walk down a row of new-build terraces, and you’ll notice a familiar sight: tiny patios packed with rows of miniature pots and dwarf shrubs. For years, the unwritten rule of compact gardening has been to shrink everything down to fit the size of your outdoor space.

P.ublished 12th September 2026

British Garden Centres’ Top Ten Plants That Thrive On Neglect For An Easy Autumn Garden

Verbena bonariensis on Pixabay

As summer heatwaves and dry spells become more common, UK gardeners are turning to tough, low-maintenance plants that deliver high impact with minimal effort. A drought doesn’t necessarily mean a parched or dead garden, and the team at British Garden Centres has put together a guide to the best plants that will thrive in hot weather as we go into the autumn season.

P.ublished 5th September 2026

UNIBED Named Official Bedding Supplier For Cornbury House Horse Trials

South Milford-based equestrian bedding manufacturer UNIBED has been named official bedding supplier for the Cornbury House Horse Trials in Oxfordshire, one of the UK's leading events on the eventing calendar.

P.ublished 1st September 2026

Unlock The Golden Quarter With British Garden Centres' Autumn Guide

As we head into September after a record-breaking summer and drought, autumn provides a transitional month to reset our gardens after a dry and tinderbox few months. With hope of rainfall and sunshine, our gardens can reset, with autumn being the perfect time to plant and plan in your outdoor space.

P.ublished 29th August 2026

UK’s Only Bush Dog Pups Emerge From Den At Chester Zoo

Five bush dog pups - the only ones born in the UK this year - have emerged from their den at Chester Zoo. Born around a month ago to four-year-old Molly after a 65-day pregnancy, the youngsters are now beginning to explore their surroundings alongside their parents and older siblings.

P.ublished 29th August 2026

Rare UK Bird Species Sees Record Year For Breeding

Conservationists are celebrating a successful year for Black-necked Grebes, one of the UK’s rarest breeding birds. Working in partnership with Woolston Eyes Conservation Group to restore and extend precious wetland habitat, 35 pairs of the scarce species were recorded on the reserve in 2025 after breeding was first proven in 1987.

P.ublished 29th August 2026

Good News For Ribble Salmon As Surveys Reveal Promising Response

Atlantic salmon fry Photo: Ribble Rivers Trust

There is encouraging news for one of the Ribble's most iconic and threatened species, as early survey results suggest Atlantic salmon may be making a comeback across parts of the catchment. Every year, Ribble Rivers Trust surveys more than 300 sites across the Ribble catchment, including the Rivers Ribble, Hodder, Calder, Darwen and Douglas, along with their tributaries.

P.ublished 26th August 2026

First Norfolk Hawker Dragonflies Sighted At RSPB Old Moor

Norfolk Hawker (Isoaeschna isosceles) dragonfly at RSPB Old Moor Photo: David Pritchard

Visitors to RSPB Old Moor, near Barnsley, are being encouraged to look a little closer at the reserve's ponds and reedbeds before the summer is out after the first-ever sighting the endangered Norfolk Hawker (Isoaeschna isosceles) at the nature reserve on 27 June and four subsequent sightings there in July.

P.ublished 22nd August 2026

Know Your Pollinators: New Guide Helps Gardeners Identify And Protect Bees

While every bee contributes to pollinating our crops and countryside, they are far from all the same. Recognising the difference between species like solitary bees, bumblebees, and honeybees is key, as each requires tailored conservation support to thrive. But could you spot the difference between the pollinators visiting your garden?

P.ublished 22nd August 2026

British Garden Centres' Guide To The Best Plants For A High Summer Blaze Of Colour

Dahlias Photo: BGC

As we progress through August, high summer is far from over for gardeners and homeowners, and the right plants bought now can keep borders, pots and hanging baskets glowing right through to the first frosts.

P.ublished 22nd August 2026

Vet Warns Dog Owners Not To Ignore These Signs After A Walk As Mushroom Season Hits

Dog owners are being urged to look out for wild mushrooms after weeks of hot weather followed by rain creating ideal growing conditions across the UK. Wild mushrooms are a normal and valuable part of the environment, and most dogs will just ignore them. However, some dogs are more curious or prone to scavenging, and a small number of wild mushroom species can be harmful if eaten.

P.ublished 22nd August 2026

Chester Zoo Python Beats Cancer In World-First Treatment

A reticulated python has become the first snake known to undergo electrochemotherapy, after vets adapted a human cancer treatment to save her from a tumour invading her jaw A 15-foot python at Chester Zoo is back to being "bright and feisty" after becoming, as far as anyone can tell, the first snake in the world to be treated with a pioneering cancer therapy more commonly used on people.…

P.ublished 22nd August 2026

Barn Owl Pellets Reveal Rich Mammal Community At RSPB Saltholme

Analysis of regurgitated pellets has uncovered evidence of almost every small mammal species found in Northeast England, underlining the value of the Teesside reserve's wetland and grassland habitats Barn Owls have never been known for their discretion when it comes to leftovers, and it is precisely this habit that has handed researchers at RSPB Saltholme an unusually detailed picture of the sm…

P.ublished 22nd August 2026

Rare Piglet Born At Chester Zoo As African Swine Fever Pushes Species Towards Extinction

A critically important piglet has been born at Chester Zoo, as conservationists warn her species is being wiped out in the wild by African swine fever. Little Rana is a babirusa - sometimes called the "pig-deer" - a species found on just four Indonesian islands.

P.ublished 15th August 2026

First Ospreys To Hatch On An RSPB Nature Reserve In England Have Chosen Cumbria

Three Osprey chicks in the nest on the platform at RSPB Campfield Marsh mid-June Photo: RSPB

Ospreys have successfully bred on an RSPB nature reserve in England for the first time. Three chicks successfully hatched at RSPB Campfield Marsh in June. Ospreys were persecuted to extinction in the UK in the early 1900’s, this year marks the first pair to successfully breed on an RSPB nature reserve in England.

P.ublished 13th August 2026

Apply Now For Tree-Planting Grants In The Yorkshire Dales, Nidderdale And Forest Of Bowland

Woodland Grants Scheme

Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) has launched its grant scheme to support planting of new native broadleaf woodlands, hedgerow and landscape trees in the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Forest of Bowland and Nidderdale National Landscapes.

P.ublished 12th August 2026

Syanii Gets His Paws Into World Lion Day 2026

London Zoo Asiatic Lion - mum Arya - sniffs giant ball on World Lion Day 2026 Photo: ©ZSL London Zoo

Asiatic lions Syanii and mum Arya play with a decorated ball to celebrate World Lion Day at London Zoo. Scented with his favourite Indian spices, ground ginger and cardamom, the giant lion-proof ball was a hit with the two-year-old Syanii, who practised his natural hunting skills by sniffing and clawing at the giant new enrichment toy.

P.ublished 10th August 2026

London Zoo Baby Penguin Named After Great Ormond Street Hospital Ward To Celebrate New Partnership

Mildred wearing Identification Band Photo: London Zoo©

Children from GOSH’s Mildred Creak Unit visited London Zoo to meet the chick as the two institutions launch a new nature and wellbeing partnership. A Humboldt penguin chick hatched on 30 April at London Zoo has been named Mildred after the Mildred Creak Unit (MCU), celebrating the start of a special partnership between the Zoo and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH).

P.ublished 8th August 2026

How To Keep Your Garden Thriving In August

August is when all those hours spent digging, feeding and pruning finally show their worth. Borders are bursting with colour, pots are overflowing, and the garden becomes the place to be for lazy afternoons and long evenings with family and friends.

P.ublished 8th August 2026

Chester Zoo Highlights ‘Forgotten’ Species- And Visitors Can Get Involved

Zoo visitors are invited to help secure a future for three ‘little known’ and highly endangered Asian species this weekend. Chester Zoo is hosting a series of talks and activities on August 8 and 9 to raise awareness of the plight of wild cattle and pigs and to mark Action Indonesia Day.

P.ublished 7th August 2026

‘Major Breakthrough’ For One Of Africa’s Rarest Birds As Five Highly Endangered Chicks Hatch At Chester Zoo

Five secretarybird chicks have hatched at Chester Zoo in a landmark breeding breakthrough that experts hope will help secure the future of the endangered species. The arrival of the chicks marks the first time secretarybirds have bred at the zoo in its 95-year history. Conservationists have hailed it a ‘major breakthrough’ for the highly endangered species.

P.ublished 6th August 2026

There’s No Stopping Yorkshire Invention

SealStop, the ground-breaking automatic shut-off valve designed to eliminate water waste and save gardeners' time, has now won a staggering 12 awards during the past two years. SealStop, which is sold in six countries across the world, was invented by Yorkshire farmers Jason and Belle Richardson of Pocklington.

P.ublished 6th August 2026

British Garden Centres' Top Sun-Loving Houseplants For Summer

BGC Cactus Photo: Pixabay

There's a sunny windowsill in most homes doing nothing but holding a candle or a stack of post. With the UK in the middle of another summer heatwave and temperatures pushing well into the high thirties, that patch of light is hotter and stronger than it's been all year, and it's wasted on anything but the plants that actually crave it.

P.ublished 1st August 2026

Rare White-Clawed Crayfish Given Lifeline As Recovery Work Begins Across The North

White Clawed Crayfish

Northern rivers will play a key role in a national project to save England’s only native freshwater crayfish from disappearing from our rivers and streams. A major conservation effort is underway across the North of England to help save the UK’s only native freshwater crayfish from disappearing from rivers and streams.

P.ublished 1st August 2026

Chester Zoo Launches Month-Long Fundraising Challenge To Help Save Tigers

Earn Your Stripes tiger fundraiser launched by Chester Zoo Photo: Chester Zoo©

Chester Zoo has launched a major new fundraising campaign to help protect tigers, calling on supporters across the UK to cover a collective 5,000 miles and raise £10,000, as the species continues to face habitat loss and conflict with people. The month-long challenge, Earn Your Stripes, marks International Tiger Day today (29 July) and will run from 29 September to 29 October.

P.ublished 29th July 2026

Near-Extinct Snails Hatched At UK Zoo Have Returned To The Wild Following Major Conservation Breeding Success

Near-extinct snails hatched at UK and French zoos have returned to the wild following major conservation breeding success - Bugio Photo: Chester Zoo©

Conservatists have just reintroduced hundreds of tiny snails on a rocky Atlantic island after a zoo breeding programme pulled four species back from the brink. The tiny molluscs have been returned to Bugio Island on the Madeiran archipelago, helping to restore habitat and support biodiversity on land once grazed bare by feral goats, mice and rabbits.

P.ublished 28th July 2026

Highly Endangered Newts Hatched In A UK Zoo Have Been Released At A Secret Site In Catalonia

Highly endangered newts bred at a UK zoo have been released into the wild at a secret location in Catalonia as part of an international effort to save the species from extinction. Chester Zoo, the only UK organisation involved in the breeding programme, has just introduced 32 Montseny brook newts (Calotriton arnoldi arnoldi) to a mountainous habitat near Barcelona.

P.ublished 25th July 2026

Asian Hornet Sightings Surge By 666% As Britain’s Bees Face Growing Threat

Experts warn UK could face permanent establishment of the invasive predator, with a single nest capable of consuming up to 150,000 bees Sightings of Asian hornets across the UK have risen by 666% in a single year, prompting fresh warnings from beekeepers and pollinator experts that Britain's bee population faces a mounting and potentially permanent threat.

P.ublished 25th July 2026

The Art Of Sensory Gardening And Engaging The Senses With British Garden Centres

Close your eyes in a garden, and you notice things you'd otherwise walk straight past, like the rustle of grass, the scent of jasmine on the evening air, the softness of a lamb's ear leaf under your fingers. That's the joy of a sensory garden: it's not just something you look at, but something you experience with all five senses.

P.ublished 25th July 2026

Yorkshire’s Bempton Cliffs Marks 1,000th Shorewatch

RSPB Bempton Cliffs has recorded its 1,000th marine mammal watch, just 16 months after becoming the first official Shorewatch location in England. Shorewatch is a citizen science programme run by Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), the leading global charity dedicated to the conservation of whales and dolphins.

P.ublished 25th July 2026

NFU Urges Farmers To Prioritise Safety As Agriculture Deaths On The Rise

Image by WOKANDAPIX from Pixabay

As new figures show a rise in agricultural deaths, the NFU is urging British farmers and growers this Farm Safety Week to prioritise good on-farm safety practices. According to data from the HSE (Health and Safety Executive), 29 people died while working in agriculture between 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, an increase of six from the previous year.

P.ublished 22nd July 2026

Is The UK Set For A Bumper Summer Of Butterflies?

Fairy-like Holly Blue butterflies have had an excellent spring Photo: Iain H Leach

Britain could be on the brink of a bumper summer of butterflies, with a warm, dry spring raising hopes of an abundant season ahead for some of the nation’s best-loved species.

P.ublished 18th July 2026

British Garden Centres' Guide To Quick Wins To Transform Your Garden This Summer

Photo: BGC

With gardens increasingly seen as an extension of the home, for relaxing, entertaining and enjoying time outdoors, many homeowners are looking for low-effort tasks that deliver big results, perfect for those short on time but not on ambition. Just a few quick wins that are small, simple tasks that take only minutes to complete will make a real difference to how a garden looks and feels.

P.ublished 18th July 2026

Gwct Secures Government Backing For Seven Species Recovery Projects

The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has secured government backing for all seven projects it submitted to Natural England's Species Recovery Programme, reinforcing the Trust’s position at the forefront of science-led practical conservation.

P.ublished 17th July 2026

Chester Zoo To Host Met Office And Tourism Leaders For Weather Summit

The Met Office, government officials and the heads of 16 of the UK's biggest visitor attractions will gather at Chester Zoo on Monday (13 July) for talks aimed at fixing how weather forecasts are shown to the public.

P.ublished 13th July 2026

New Project To Help Protect And Restore Bowland's Landscapes For Local Communities And Wildlife

Communities across the Forest of Bowland are set to benefit from a major new project to restore nature, improve access to green spaces, and support those who live and work in the landscape.

P.ublished 11th July 2026

Fresh Heatwave Prompts Renewed RSPCA Appeal To Help Wildlife

The RSPCA is renewing its appeal for people to not forget wildlife as another heatwave brings soaring temperatures across many parts of the country. The renewed appeal follows a previous bout of hot weather which saw the RSPCA experience its busiest day of the year, on 24 June, with 4,135 calls from members of the public concerned about animals.

P.ublished 9th July 2026

Mills & Reeve Renews Make It Wild Partnership To Support Nature's Recovery In Yorkshire

National law firm Mills & Reeve has renewed its partnership with Yorkshire-based Make it Wild, building on a relationship that began in 2025 as part of the firm's 'Achieving more for nature's recovery' initiative. Make it Wild is an organisation that helps businesses support the planet through rewilding and habitat creation.

P.ublished 7th July 2026

Peacock Crowned Britain's Favourite Butterfly — Now The North Is Being Urged To Go Out And Count Them

Peacock Photo: Mark Seale - Butterfly Conservation

With the Big Butterfly Count just weeks away, residents across Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Yorkshire and Lancashire are being urged to discover whether their favourite butterflies are thriving this summer The Peacock has been crowned Britain's Favourite Butterfly, topping the first-ever public vote on all 60 UK species — and claiming the crown in Northumberland, Tyne & Wear and Yorkshire too.

P.ublished 7th July 2026

53ft snake arrives at London Zoo

Acclaimed British artist Linder has unveiled Sirona, her first permanent public artwork and first mosaic, at London Zoo.

P.ublished 4th July 2026

Get Your Lawn Wimbledon And World Cup Ready This Summer

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

It’s that time of year again when the strawberries are out, the flags are up, and every sports fan in the country has one eye on the tennis and the other on the football. But spare a thought for the patch of grass outside your back door because with a bit of love and the right know how, your lawn could look every bit as good as Centre Court or worthy of hosting the World Cup final.

P.ublished 4th July 2026

The Race To Save One Of The World's Most Endangered Birds Has Begun

Chester Zoo and partners create plan to save Javan Green Magpie - Gunung Haliman National Park (habitat for Javan green magpies)

Conservationists are rolling out an emergency rescue plan for a bird so rare that survey teams searching across 12 mountains in Java failed to find a single one. Chester Zoo has played a central role in developing the plan for the Javan green magpie - a species so close to extinction that fewer than 250 may remain on the planet - and is now working with partners to put it into action.

P.ublished 3rd July 2026

Keep Cool This Summer At ‘Wonder Of The Waterways’

Britain’s longest, deepest and highest canal tunnel celebrates 25 years since landmark restoration and reopening With a constant year-round temperature of around 8°C, a trip through Standedge Tunnel provides the perfect escape from the summer heat and this year the Canal & River Trust is hosting celebrations to mark 25 years since the reopening of the UK's longest, deepest and highest canal tun…

P.ublished 27th June 2026

Emergency Action: What To Do If You See An Animal In A Car During A Heatwave

The RSPCA is urging concerned animal lovers to call the police, not the animal welfare charity, if they spot an animal in a car during the UK’s mega heatwave - saying every second counts to save lives.

P.ublished 27th June 2026

25 Year Farming Roadmap Ambitions Need To Move ‘Rapidly Into Delivery Mode’

Farming Roadmap shows ambition for profitable and resilient food production but needs urgency in delivery. Success relies on partnership between Treasury, Defra, MHCLG farmers and private finance. Government must have a mandate to prioritise food production and security.

P.ublished 26th June 2026

Meet Kris: The Rare Giraffe On A Very Important Date

Conservationists at Chester Zoo have welcomed a rare northern giraffe - and hope he'll prove quite the catch. Kris, a lively three-year-old male, has travelled from West Midlands Safari Park to meet the zoo's resident female herd. His introduction has been carefully planned, with conservationists matching the animals based on genetics, age and temperament.

P.ublished 20th June 2026

British Garden Centres' Tips On Choosing The Right Compost For A Thriving Garden

Eve with garden compost Photo: BGC

As more people across the UK discover the joy of gardening, whether planting their first container, refreshing a border, or nurturing a vegetable patch, understanding compost is one of the most important steps to grow healthy and thriving plants.

P.ublished 20th June 2026

Water-Saving Invention SealStop Seals Deal With Leading Garden Centre Chain

SealStop, the Yorkshire-made automatic shut-off valve designed to eliminate water waste, is now being stocked by Longacres, the UK's premier independent garden centre chain. It is the first major nationwide deal landed by the multi-award-winning device.

P.ublished 19th June 2026

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