In our mission to understand how Nature-based solutions (NBS) can be used to build more resilient cities, PhD student Nerea Ferrando, from the University of Reading and Earthwatch, has been investigating the world beneath our feet. Researching how the soil fauna, is a vital part of the equation.

Image: Researcher (Nerea Ferrando) from the University of Reading identifying soil mesofauna (Zhang, Y., 2019. [photograph]).

As lockdown eases and ‘the Class of Covid-19’ adjust their higher education and employment plans, Earthwatch Europe’s Community Engagement Officer, Chloe Dalglish, lays out five ways volunteering with wildlife project Naturehood could boost essential skills for young people.

The first Red List for UK mammals was released yesterday by the British Mammal Society. It highlights 11 native species from a range of habitats that are at risk of extinction.

In the last few weeks alone, we have heard exciting news of bison returning to the UK and the purchasing of a 500 hectare estate near Loch Ness with the aim of restoring wildlife. These are just the latest examples of ambitious ‘rewilding’ projects, which are seeking to restore our biodiversity at a time when 15% of our species are at threat of extinction.

Whilst there is great excitement about rewilding in some quarters, myths and controversy also stalk this new approach to conservation. Talk of roaming packs of wolves, cruelty to animals and the loss of precious farmland, has meant that the very term ‘rewilding’ hangs heavy with connotations. This blog seeks to unpick what rewilding is and explores its potential for protecting the environment.