“England is one of the most nature depleted countries on Earth” | Head of Natural England

“England is one of the most nature-depleted countries on earth”: Tony Juniper’s call to end binary thinking. The chair of Natural England explains why we can only restore nature if we stop playing off its survival against farming and infrastructure demands.

Nature is in a bad state. England is small, land is in short supply and there are no simple answers to meeting competing demands. But by getting farmers, politicians, campaigners, gardeners and dog walkers working together, we can make a difference. That is the message that Tony Juniper, a long-time environmentalist activist and, since 2019, chair of Natural England.

“This is not a happy story,” said Juniper, 61, from his home office in Cambridge when we spoke via Zoom. “The losses are right across the spectrum, from insect populations crashing to the loss of farmland birds and the degradation of our rivers. But we can do better if we put our minds to it.” The reintroduction of beavers to English waterways and the return of the white-tailed eagle are two “good news” stories.

Read the full article by Philippa Nuttall: