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Government announces nature recovery projects
One species that may benefit from the West Midlands project is the dingy skipper butterfly.
Wildlife to be protected by five new projects in England.

Defra and Natural England have announced that five nature recovery projects will be set up across England to create and restore wildlife-rich habitats.

The projects will be set up in the West Midlands, Cambridgeshire, the Peak District, Norfolk and Somerset, and will help wildlife populations to move and repopulate. 

An ambitious project, the five planned areas will be equivalent in size to all 219 current National Nature Reserves. 

Rebecca Pow, environment minister, said: “These five projects across England are superb examples of exciting, large-scale restoration that is critically needed to bring about a step change in the recovery of nature in this country.

“They will significantly contribute to achieving our target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030 and our commitment to protect 30% of our land by 2030, enabling us to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.”

The project areas are Purple Horizons in the West Midlands, Cambridge Nature Network, Cambridgeshire, Wye Valley in the Peak District, Somerset Wetlands in Somerset and Wendling Beck in Norfolk. 

Director of policy at The Wildlife Trusts, Joan Edwards, commented: “It’s good to see positive ambition from Government to help people access nature close to where they live, as well as efforts to connect existing strongholds for wildlife. 

“Species desperately need green corridors to bridge together fragmented habitats in addition to big, bold projects that enable landscapes to recover at scale.

“Wildlife has suffered catastrophic declines in recent decades and 15% of species in the UK are at risk of extinction. 

“Government can help turn that around by accelerating the creation of a nature recovery network, dedicating more land for nature, and applying stronger protections for our most important sites.”

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

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News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.