Much of England’s nature continues to decline, official figures show

Many of England’s birds, butterflies, bats and protected areas have seen their fortunes decline in recent years, an official government assessment shows.

The annual “biodiversity indicators” monitoring the state of nature in England including habitats, species, land management and protected sites, paint a bleak picture in many areas.

Of 29 indicators assessed for the changes seen over the long term, 12 show an improvement, six have had little or no overall change and 11 measures show a deterioration.