News and Opinion - British Ecological Society

Schools across the North East recognised for their commitment to welcoming nature into school grounds

Celebrating the teachers, volunteers, children, schools, and staff connecting over 5,000 children to nature in North-East England.

Wellbeing benefits of citizen science projects revealed in first of its kind study

A first of its kind study explores the wellbeing benefits of participating in citizen science

How Ireland’s smallest mammal, the pygmy shrew, is quietly and quickly disappearing from our landscape

The pygmy shrew is disappearing from Ireland because it is being outcompeted for insect food by the recent arrival of the invasive greater white-toothed shrew.

Green transformation day held at Durham primary school

The British Ecological Society (BES) held a ‘green transformation’ day at Laurel Avenue Primary School in Durham.

Opening school doors to nature in North East England

The British Ecological Society has been delivering a green transformation to primary schools in North East England, improving over 10,000 school children's connection to nature.

A new window into plants of the past

Researchers have developed a fast, nondestructive way of estimating how millions of dried plant specimens, from herbarium collections, interacted with their environment.

Spotted Hyena lifespan and reproductive success is impacted by formative conditions

Maternal, social and ecological factors influence early-life survival, longevity and reproductive performance of female adult spotted hyenas.

Virtual galleries and digital debates - exploring online engagement for Edinburgh Science Festival

Here is what we learnt about digital engagement and its place in a post-lockdown world.

British Ecological Society awarded Green Recovery grant to connect school children with nature

BES project awarded £248,700 from the UK Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund.

Introducing the Citizen Science Special Feature and Hub

The BES journals have published a Special Feature dedicated to citizen science and launched a new hub to make the work accessible to all.

Opportunities for Implementing Biodiversity Net Gain in Scotland

This event ‘Pie and a Pie’ event was jointly held online by the British Ecological Society (BES) Scottish Policy Group (SPG) and Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM).

Childhood connection to nature has many benefits but is not universally positive, finds review

Children are happier and more likely to protect the natural world when they have a greater connection to it, but this connection is complex and can also generate negative emotions linked to issues like climate change.

Virtual workshops in a locked down world

The BES Policy team share how to run a successful virtual workshop.

10 Practical tips for recording wildlife at home

Explore how to safely enjoy nature and contribute to scientific research during lockdown.

15 practical tips for online teaching

Here are 15 top tips for pivoting teaching online during COVID-19 from experts at the Open University.