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A decade-long nature-friendly farming project has helped to increase the diversity and abundance of wildlife across farmland and prompted the return of rare species such as the butterfly orchid and red-listed birds such as the nightingale.

The Jordans Farm Partnership between The Wildlife Trusts, Jordans Cereals and LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), has seen 27 farms across England develop bespoke conservation plans to help improve wildlife habitat on their farm. This includes creating features like hedgerows, field margins and ponds, and improving habitat connectivity with neighbouring landowners.

Since the partnership began in 2015, over half the participating farmers say they have seen new or returning species, many of which are endangered and of conservation concern, including birds appearing on the UK’s Red List for Birds such as tree sparrow, nightingale and goshawk, and the rare plant meadow clary, which is only found at 26 sites across the UK. Other success stories include the return of breeding stone curlew in Hampshire, scarce emerald damselfly in Suffolk and brown hare in Leicestershire.

On an unusually hot May day in Aberdeenshire, Edwin Third stands on the bank of the River Muick, a tributary of the UK’s highest river, the Dee, talking us through the rising threats to one of Scotland’s most celebrated species, the Atlantic salmon. Against the hills of the Cairngorms national park, a herd of stags on the moorland bask in the sun.

It is a spectacular landscape, attracting hikers, mountain-bikers and salmon fishers, the latter contributing an estimated £15m to Aberdeenshire’s economy.

But according to Third, the river operations manager for the Dee District Salmon Fishery Board and River Dee Trust, the changing climate threatens the survival of spring salmon in the Dee’s Special Area of Conservation, a place where King Charles learned to fly-fish.

Farming methods that support nature improve both biodiversity and crop yields, but more extensive measures may require increased government subsidies to become as profitable as conventional intensive agriculture. That is the finding of the first comprehensive on‐farm trials of their kind in the UK, which were led by the UK Center for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and Rothamsted Research.

The study is published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.

This four‐year study across 17 conventional, commercial farms in southern England not only trialed various agroecological methods but also—for the first time—the financial viability for businesses.

Devastating pictures have shown the catastrophic impact of wildfires in the Highlands.

Firefighters have been battling the inferno for three days after the alarm was first raised near Carrbridge and Dava shortly after 4pm on Saturday.

The fire quickly spread to Dallas, outside Forres in Moray, and it's understood that at the height of the incident the blaze reached around nine miles long.

A new haven for a rare mammal will be unveiled near Newton Stewart this weekend.

The Vincent Wildlife Trust has been working with Forestry and Land Scotland to create a pine marten haven at Kirroughtree Visitor Centre thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The development, part of the charity’s Martens on the Move project, will give visitors the chance to learn about pine martens thanks to a new hide and information boards.

A new study published today shows that sowing a green manure seed mix in autumn can provide safe places for Corn Buntings to nest while improving soil condition on farms.

RSPB Scotland is now calling on the Scottish Government to include autumn-sown green manure in future agri-environment schemes as soon as possible.

Once widespread across the UK, Corn Buntings have suffered huge declines particularly in East Scotland where numbers plummeted by 83% between 1989 and 2007. This earnt them the unfortunate accolade of being one of Scotland’s fastest declining species. Work by farmers in Fife and Angus has dramatically improved the fortunes of this bird there. By growing wild bird seed mix, farmers have provided the three key things Corn Buntings need: seed for food in winter; insects to feed their chicks in spring; and, safe nesting sites.

This is the best time of year to see Britain’s largest insect, the stag beetle, Lucanus cervus, with its distinctive jaws that look like antlers, hence its common name.

The males, which reach up to 75mm long (3ins) look formidable but are completely harmless. At this time of year they fly at dusk looking for much smaller females. If you are very lucky you will see two males, jaws locked in combat, jousting for a female.

Sadly, they are an endangered species and have disappeared from some European countries, so the UK population is important. They live mostly in the south, particularly around London because of the warmer climate, but can also be found in northern England, albeit rarely. A stag beetle hunt is being held by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species to map as many of their habitats as possible.

Following the Government’s recent move to protect England’s nature-friendly farming budget in the Comprehensive Spending Review, The Wildlife Trusts argue that nature-friendly farming must move centre-stage as one of the most cost effective and efficient ways to reach nature recovery and climate targets across vast swathes of the country.

Nature-friendly farming benefits not just wildlife and farm businesses, but also works to reduce flooding risk, tackle climate change, clean up waterways and increase food security. The Wildlife Trusts' Vision for the Future of Farming in England front cover

The Wildlife Trusts maintain that the entire food system – including politicians, supermarkets, food producers and farmers – must think long term about their support for a nature-positive and climate-resilient farming sector.

Crayfish conservation is accelerating across Wales as organisations work together to protect the white-clawed crayfish, a native species at risk of disappearing from Welsh rivers.

Once thriving across Wales, the white-clawed crayfish is now endangered and faces extinction due to increasing pressures from invasive species like the North American signal crayfish, pollution, climate change and ongoing habitat loss.

To help combat their decline in Wales and boost remaining populations, conservationists are working to establish Ark sites, which are locations where new populations of white-clawed crayfish can safely be established.

Controversial water pollution measures will be evaluated by an independent group including farmers, environmental groups and agri-food representatives before going out for a second consultation, the environment minister has announced.

Andrew Muir said he was "determined" to chart a way forward on the long-delayed Nutrients Action Plan (NAP).

The NAP aims to reduce water pollution from agricultural sources and the latest plan is already overdue.

One of the UK's rarest mammals - a grey long-eared bat - has been discovered at a nature reserve in Devon.

The species, which had not been seen at Seaton Wetlands since 2013, was spotted at a guided bat walk event there earlier this month.

Grey long-eared bats are incredibly rare, according to Wild East Devon, which manages 10 nature reserves. Fewer than 1,000 of them are thought to remain across the UK, it said.

The head of the government’s wildlife regulator has said he remains enthusiastic about reintroducing lynx to Britain and would be “absolutely delighted” if it could be achieved during his two-year term.

But Tony Juniper, the chair of Natural England, said debates over the animal’s release were “still quite polarised” and more engagement was required to understand how communities would be affected.

The Lynx UK Trust has submitted a draft application for a trial return of lynx to England’s largest forest, Kielder, in Northumberland, using wild animals rescued from culls in Sweden.