£90M Boost for England's Most Threatened Wildlife

England is launching a major conservation effort with a £90 million pledge to protect its most endangered native wildlife from extinction. This substantial investment, described as the largest of its kind, will fund projects aimed at reintroducing and strengthening populations of diverse species, including birds, beavers, beetles, snails, spiders, and seahorses.

The funding will be distributed through Natural England's species recovery programme over the next three years, allocating £60 million to local projects and an additional £30 million for species recovery across England's national forest estate. Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds stated this commitment is a crucial step towards reversing nature's decline.

This initiative is part of a broader strategy to address the UK's status as one of the world's most nature-depleted countries, where wildlife populations have fallen significantly since 1970. The funding is expected to support habitat restoration, captive breeding, and reintroductions, tackling habitat loss and restoring nature-rich landscapes.

Natural England's previous species recovery efforts have been successful, helping to prevent national extinctions and reintroduce species like red kites and pool frogs. The new funding aims to expand these successes, supporting more initiatives to halt and reverse wildlife decline across England, aligning with the government's environmental improvement plan.