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Join Coexistence Support Officer, Julia Brant, for a day at Rother Woods as part of the South East Pine Marten Restoration Project.

This is Talk on the Wild Side. I'm Rob Smith, and in this episode, bugs matter. And bugs really do matter. Don't just take my word for it. As Sir David Attenborough no less puts it, if we and the rest of the backboned animals were to disappear overnight, the rest of the world would get on pretty well. But if the invertebrates were to disappear, the world's ecosystems would collapse.

With a new UK Government now in situ, Becky Pullinger, head of land use planning at The Wildlife Trusts, reviews what is needed to deliver on one of their key manifesto pledges – to build new homes – in a nature and climate-friendly way.

The wettest winters and springs on record have had at least one benefit. The ponds and pools across Hothfield Heathlands are full of water!

How do you combine business and biodiversity? Can we create a new way of collaborating which benefits wildlife and people? Conservation at a landscape-scale needs everyone involved; no one person or organisation can tackle the challenges our natural spaces face alone, and the Blean is no exception. This concept has initiated our Blean Business and Biodiversity Network.

It seems we too often forget that nature isn’t a ‘nice to have’, but an absolute necessity if us humans want to survive as a species.

John Dinnis of Filston Farm (part of the Darent Valley Farmer Cluster) wrote this blog about his experience at World Environment Day in Brussels with Defra and UN delegates. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) wanted a farmer to attend - a farmer who works directly on the land and who could give their perspective on the challenges and advantages of being involved with a water quality or river restoration focused project. By the sounds of it, he had a great (if unexpected!) day - read on for his experience.

Rob Smith heads to Moat Farm Kent to visit a farmer who's lucky enough to live in a stronghold of a rare and elusive bird species - the nightingale. Find out the facts about Nightingales, listen to their beautiful song and learn how Michael Bax makes sure they have the right habitat to keep coming back year after year.

Almost three years of RiverSearch citizen scientists collecting data on the health of Kent's rivers and streams has been collated in this report. Find out how our rivers measure up in nitrates, phosphates and turbidity.

So much has happened since joining Kent Wildlife Trust as a Volunteer Trainee Warden on 3 July 2023. My life has done a complete 360 (for the better, I should add!). 8 months ago, I was working as a Graphic Designer leading a very lone existence in my small study at home or making the very sad commute to a grey, industrial, business park on the Medway estate. But now?... my life is surrounded by the calming colours of nature and days are spent either shadowing 2 Estate Wardens, helping out on task days, on training courses, completing wildlife surveys or attending study days.

With input from Simon Bateman-Brown, Head of Land Management, and Evan Bowen-Jones, Chief Executive of Kent Wildlife Trust, we explore the conservation work we have done at Heather Corrie Vale since attaining validation against the Wilder Carbon Standard, by Soil Association Certification.

In Kent, our grazing animals roam the reserves using their instincts and experience to guide them towards delicious nutritious vegetation and away from potentially toxic plants. This deep-rooted wisdom is a product of evolution and survival instincts passed down from generation to generation but particularly prevalent in the old-fashioned breeds that we use.