Guy Shrubsole

I agree the orgs could do that planning themselves, though think the power this has comes from govt setting expectations & holding them accountable - campaigners in Wales & Scotland should push for this in their nations

They could do, but given this is a UK govt-convened group, that would mean the Westminster government intervening in devolved nations’ jurisdictions over nature policy, which they rightly won’t do.

Mountain of waste dumped in Oxfordshire field contains rubbish from councils Evidence of waste from primary schools and local authorities in south-east England points to possible large-scale corruption, expert says Waste from local authorities in the south-east is among the vast mound of rubbish dumped illegally next to a river in Oxfordshire, it can be revealed. The finding provides evidence of possible large-scale corruption in waste management, a legal expert has warned. Continue reading...

Mountain of waste dumped in Oxfordshire field contains rubbish from councils

Leading the way: National Estate for Nature agrees shared objectives to accelerate nature recovery The National Estate for Nature group has taken an important step forward in its mission to drive nature recovery across England’s major estates. Read this post to find out more.

Great to see that the National Estate for Nature Group - whose members own c.10% of England - have agreed to "publish estate management plans by April 2026", setting out how each of them are contributing to 30x30 & Environment Act targets.

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defraenvironment.blog.gov.uk/2025/11/18/l...

Very sad to hear this. John Barkham was an inspirational ecologist who carried out pioneering research into Black Tor Copse, one of Dartmoor’s last remaining temperate rainforests. I’m so glad to have met him, and hope we can restore this special place in his memory.

bsky.app/profile/patr...

So, so sorry to hear this Patrick, it was an honour to meet your dad and talk to him about his pioneering research into Black Tor Copse. I very much hope we can protect and restore it in his memory. He was indeed an inspiration and a lovely person x

Popping back for something important…

This is for those of you who knew & loved that golden human, Jamie Normington @movingslowly.bsky.social – and those who never met him but were amused, enlightened, touched by his gift for communication and compassion here and on Twitter.

They’re both involved - Church Commissioners own c105,000 acres of land in England

Good news that public landowners will be setting out how they are meeting nature restoration targets!

@ippr.org previously called on public landowners to play a greater role in contributing to 30x30 and Environment Act targets - this is a move in the right direction

www.ippr.org/articles/dri...

Mapping the ‘National Estate for Nature’ – and what it should do next This post is by Guy Shrubsole. Image: the Lulworth Ranges in Dorset, on a long lease from the Weld Estate to the Ministry of Defence. Back in March, the Government announced it was forming a new &#…

12/ Back in June, I wrote this about 'what the National Estate for Nature should do next'. Going by the latest meeting minutes and ToR, they've made a good start. I will continue to watch, prod and campaign to ensure they deliver on their promises...!

whoownsengland.org/2025/06/10/m...

11/ Lastly it's good to see that the Holkham Estate have now joined the National Estate for Nature group - where the brilliant @jakefiennes.bsky.social works his magic over 25,000 acres of Norfolk.

That means 3 large private estates are now members - and hopefully more will join in future.

10/ The National Estate for Nature group has also adopted a 'ratchet mechanism'!

Policy nerds will know the ratchet mechanism is a key feature of the Climate Change Act & Paris Agreement - that ambition must be raised over time.

The NEN have agreed to raise their ambitions for nature restoration:

Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament Information from UK Parliament on written questions & answers, written statements and daily reports.

9/ The ToR for the group also confirms that the Cross-Government Nature Strategy (CGNS) will be the public sector's estate management plan, and therefore will also be published in April 2026.

@alexsobel.co.uk asked a good PQ about the CGNS in May: questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...

8/ I'm pleased to see transparency is embedded in how the National Estate for Nature operates.

In particular, the commitment from ALL members - public, private, 3rd sector - to publish estate management plans by April 2026. I trust this will also include maps, & I'll be watching out for this!!

7/ As a reminder, here are the (draft) Land Use Framework principles, as consulted on by DEFRA earlier this year.

I think the most important one is 'play to the strengths of the land' - ie., accept that some land is not productive for growing food, but is vital for nature, carbon storage etc

6/ Two other important points in the group's Minimum Standard:

- They will 'report annually on plans and progress to the group and/or publicly' (I hope *publicly* - either way, the reports should be obtainable via FOI requests!)

- They'll apply the draft Land Use Framework Principles

5/ The NEN's Terms of Reference also include a 'Minimum Standard' which all members have agreed to meet.

This confirms that the point of the NEN is to get big landowners helping to meet not only Environment Act targets, but also 30x30 - which the Govt is waaay off track in meeting so far

4/ Now, the National Estate for Nature group have agreed on their Terms of Reference.

Significantly, they agree to "hold each other accountable on progress"

Landowners don't often like to be held accountable - this is a good start!

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69174d...

Defra asks England’s biggest landowners to come up with plans to restore nature Exclusive: Representatives of king, National Trust and others called on to work together to protect environment

3/ The National Estate for Nature group was formed in March this year and has since met three times

It's good that minutes are regularly published online, baking some degree of transparency in from the start:
www.gov.uk/government/g...

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Labour is right to hold major landowners to account for how they’re treating nature This post is by Guy Shrubsole. Image: Elveden Hall on the 22,500-acre Elveden Estate, one of the members of the Government’s new National Estate for Nature. “Land ownership in England is high…

2/ The National Estate for Nature (NEN) comprises some of England's largest public, private & 3rd sector landowners

NGOs like @wclnews.bsky.social & I have called on Govt to set up a Public Estate for Nature. The NEN is, I think, a first step in that direction:

whoownsengland.org/2025/03/21/l...

Leading the way: National Estate for Nature agrees shared objectives to accelerate nature recovery The National Estate for Nature group has taken an important step forward in its mission to drive nature recovery across England’s major estates. Read this post to find out more.

Great to see that the National Estate for Nature Group - whose members own c.10% of England - have agreed to "publish estate management plans by April 2026", setting out how each of them are contributing to 30x30 & Environment Act targets.

Thread 1/

defraenvironment.blog.gov.uk/2025/11/18/l...

Please support this! It's not just about rivers/woods/moors. It's also about communities being able to refer to 'environmental' interests in towns/cities, things like buying a building with plans to retrofit it, or create habitats in & around a building...

Thanks, that looks helpful!

Great piece Sim, thanks! And glorious hornbeams and oaks. You’ve taught me a few more lichen names, I’ve been wondering what some of those crustose lichens were…

Nature you can’t see. Private land, trespassing in an ancient wood and the right to roam. I took these photos to bring your attention to some marvellous things in nature, in Sussex, that are hidden from the public. I will not name the Sussex wood I trespassed in to take these photos. If…

A post on private land ownership and access to nature. Some of the best nature in Sussex is in SSSIs were access is not permitted by owners, often related to making money out of pheasant shooting. @guyshrubsole.bsky.social excellent on this! See: whoownsengland.org @righttoroam.bsky.social

(I’d have preferred England to just say that community buyouts be consistent with delivering sustainable development, as you have in Scotland - or set some slightly more specific goals like helping deliver net zero & 30x30… but we are where we are!):)

Thanks - not for the purposes of community right to buy, no: but there’s also no such metrics being proposed for the social & economic criteria for nominating ACVs either.

Sorry... I've resisted for many years!

Nice Usnea articulata beard you've got there :)

Ok folks. I've finally joined Instagram. You can find me there at www.instagram.com/guy.shrubsole/ - follow for photos of lichens, mosses, chalk wildflowers, and my linocut prints!

I'll still be here too, of course.

Please join me in enjoying this Tree Lungwort lichen:

🚨 SHOCKING 🚨

A HUGE illegal waste dump has appeared between the A34 and River Cherwell, linked to organised crime.

Every rainfall risks toxins washing into the river.

We’re calling on the Environment Agency & Cherwell Council to act NOW.

Our rivers cannot wait. 👇👇