A family remembers a 1971 Christmas protest in London, when a campaigner dressed as Father Christmas joined others to block traffic on Oxford Street and call for cleaner air. The street is now being pedestrianised, which his daughter says he would have been pleased to see.
Cumbria Wildlife Trust has begun restoring 435 hectares of damaged peatland in Skiddaw Forest in the Lake District. The work, expected to take three to four months, will also repair a 6km boundary fence while public access stays open. The restored peatland should help slow water flow, reduce flooding downstream and support more plants, dragonflies and birds.
Beavers are set to return to the River Ness area around Loch Ness for the first time in about 500 years. NatureScot has approved the release of up to 15 beavers over three years at agreed sites, and the animals are expected to boost biodiversity and help manage water flows.
Conservationists have completed the purchase of the 9,500-acre Rothbury Estate in Northumberland after a two-year public appeal raised £30m. The land will be managed to enhance its wildlife and natural heritage, with more than 25,000 people donating to the campaign.
