The government has\u00a0unveiled\u00a0the first\u00a0five species set to\u00a0benefit\u00a0from the\u00a0largest ever amount of government funding for threatened species.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0turtle dove, diamond-backed spider, Eurasian oystercatcher, red-billed\u00a0chough\u00a0and glutinous snail\u00a0are among the hundreds of species set to\u00a0benefit\u00a0from new\u00a0funding for\u00a0recovery\u00a0projects\u00a0across\u00a0England.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The government will invest \u00a360m over the next three years \u2013 more than double the\u00a0previous\u00a0round of funding \u2013\u00a0into the\u00a0Species Recovery Programme, which is administered by Natural England. A further \u00a330m will be dedicated to fund species recovery on the national forest estate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It comes as Defra\u00a0reveals\u00a0a new campaign, \u201cWild Again: Restoring England\u2019s Wildlife\u201d,\u00a0which will encompass the government\u2019s existing and future work to protect and recover native species through projects including the flagship Species Recovery Programme.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are a nation of nature lovers,\u00a0and our wildlife is a huge source of pride for communities across the country. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis\u00a0record investment into\u00a0species recovery will\u00a0give\u00a0help some of our most iconic species\u00a0the chance to truly flourish\u00a0–\u00a0from the turtle dove to the red-billed chough\u00a0–\u00a0with many more projects\u00a0set to follow\u00a0in the\u00a0months ahead.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n
Natural England Chair Tony Juniper said:\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce widespread and characteristic wildlife was in the very fabric of our nation. Following centuries of decline that fabric has become frayed and tattered, but all is not lost. New government support to assist with the recovery of some of our most threatened species brings hope through practical action.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are some extraordinary stories behind the recovery projects we are helping, including that of the red-billed chough that was once extinct in England, but which is now growing in number and spreading. We are also backing action for lesser-known species, such as the diamond-backed spider and glutinous snail, which while less familiar are no less important threads in the web of life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, the government has revealed five of the threatened species set to\u00a0benefit\u00a0from\u00a0Species Recovery Programme\u00a0funding:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Turtle dove\u00a0<\/p>\n
The turtle dove\u00a0is one of our most vulnerable species and, for those lucky enough to hear\u00a0its\u00a0call,\u00a0part of the soundtrack\u00a0for\u00a0an English summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, that\u00a0sound has become harder to find over recent decades, as the turtle dove\u00a0population in England\u00a0has declined by\u00a0an estimated 99% between the 1960s and 2023. This is\u00a0largely due\u00a0to the loss of\u00a0seed-rich food sources.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However,\u00a0turtle\u00a0doves\u00a0are set to\u00a0benefit\u00a0from\u00a0new funding for their recovery\u00a0through a project led by the RSPB, with Kent Wildlife Trust & Natural England.\u00a0This builds on\u00a0previous\u00a0work, which has seen\u00a0the Southeast of England\u00a0become a stronghold for turtle doves.\u00a0Nature friendly farming schemes are helping to provide more of the wildflower seeds that these birds need to survive and new funding to help the turtle dove population recover will drive further progress.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The turtle dove is known not only for its distinctive markings, but also for its enduring status as a cultural symbol of romance. Through the centuries, poetry including Shakespeare\u2019s \u201cThe Phoenix and the Turtle\u201d, cemented its symbolic status \u2014 and it\u00a0remains\u00a0most famous in popular culture for its mention in \u201cThe Twelve Days of Christmas\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Diamond-backed spider\u00a0<\/p>\n
Few conservation stories are as dramatic as that of the diamond-backed spider.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The spider, named for its distinctive markings, was thought to be extinct in the UK for\u00a0nearly half\u00a0a century, before it was rediscovered at\u00a0Clumber Park,\u00a0a National Trust site in Nottinghamshire\u00a0in 2017.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now,\u00a0Clumber\u00a0Park is\u00a0still\u00a0the only place where the diamond-backed spider can be found in the UK This makes the tiny population of the species we have\u00a0in this country\u00a0extremely vulnerable, as any threats to this area of habitat could render the rare spider\u00a0nationally\u00a0extinct once more. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Aside from being one of our rarest species, diamond-backed spiders\u00a0also have a role tom play in promoting healthy ecosystems.\u00a0Spiders\u00a0act\u00a0as nature\u2019s pest controller, feeding flies aphids and moths, helping to manage their numbers\u00a0and prevent damage to plants.\u00a0<\/p>\n
New government funding for the National Trust will help this\u00a0population\u00a0to\u00a0flourish into the future,\u00a0ensuring that we\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0see one of our rarest arachnids disappear from\u00a0the wild\u00a0in England. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Red-billed chough\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
New funding will offer renewed hope for the red-billed chough, a bird which has been much beleaguered over the centuries. \u00a0<\/p>\n
The red-billed chough has been subject to persecution since the Middle Ages, when folklore cast them as fireraisers and claimed they got their red legs and bill from paddling in the blood of Tomas Becket after his execution.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
Now,\u00a0red-billed choughs are being recognised as ecosystem engineers for promoting biodiversity in grasslands by\u00a0altering soil structure and managing invertebrate populations, but they are facing the twin threats of the\u00a0loss of habitat and food sources.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Government funding will be used to build on ongoing work to help the red-billed chough recover in Kent. In July 2023, Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust released eight choughs near Dover, and by May 2024 the first wild chough chick to be born in Kent for generations\u00a0was\u00a0discovered at Dover Castle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eurasian oystercatcher<\/p>\n
The Eurasian oystercatcher is one of England\u2019s most recognisable coastal birds: boldly patterned in black and white with a carrot-coloured bill,\u00a0very talkative, and almost impossible to overlook.\u00a0They can also be remarkably long-lived, with some individuals known to have lived for\u00a0nearly half\u00a0a century.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Britain supports an internationally important number of wintering oystercatchers, with up to 45% of\u00a0Europe\u2019s population\u00a0spending\u00a0the winter here.\u00a0\u00a0However,\u00a0the oystercatcher has been facing decline in Europe,\u00a0largely due to\u00a0driven by habitat degradation and the over-exploitation of mussel and cockle beds on which it depends. \u00a0<\/p>\n
A new project by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust and Natural England will help to promote the breeding success of oystercatcher in England, making sure that England\u00a0remains\u00a0a\u00a0haven\u00a0for the species.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Glutinous snail\u00a0<\/p>\n
The glutinous snail is one of our most unusual species, notable for its jelly-like mantle which protects its thin and delicate shell. This gives the animal a glassy appearance and makes it sticky to the touch, giving it its name.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This distinctive creature is extinct in England and, in Britain, is now found in just one lake: Llyn Tegid in North Wales. In England, the last known population was found at Kennington Pit, a pond on the edge of Oxford, where it was recorded until the early 1990s. Its decline is thought to be linked to habitat deterioration, as the species is particularly sensitive to water quality. \u00a0<\/p>\n
A new project by the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, alongside a consortium of zoos, will reintroduce these weird and wonderful creatures in England and support their recovery.<\/p>\n
Additional information:<\/p>\n