New Resilient Nature report reveals habitats stretched to breaking point by climate extremes and human pressures.

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By Eleanor Grey, Environment Correspondent

Main Article — Page 1

LONDON, 27 September 2025 — A stark new report published today by The Wildlife Trusts lays bare the perilous condition of the United Kingdom’s wild species and habitats under accelerating climate stress. Resilient Nature, the Trusts’ adaptation assessment for 2024/25, draws on data from their 2,600 nature reserves and warns of a “nature breaking point” as extreme weather becomes ever more unpredictable. The Wildlife Trusts+1

The report identifies drought, heatwaves, wildfires, and volatile rainfall as the greatest pressures faced by ecosystems. Over the past 12 months, peat bogs, heathlands and wetlands have desiccated; ponds and streams failed to sustain amphibians and dragonflies; and reserve managers documented charred nests at sites such as Upton Heath in Dorset. The Wildlife Trusts+1

“We are now witnessing climate extremes not as distant threats but as daily realities for wildlife,” says Dr. Sinead Walker, lead author of Resilient Nature. “Ecosystems once able to absorb shock are losing resilience.”

Even in less acute circumstances, the report highlights chronic declines: species abundance on studied taxa has fallen by an average 19 % since 1970, and almost one in six species assessed in Great Britain faces risk of extinction. National Trust+1

The Trusts caution that government mitigation and adaptation efforts remain dangerously underfunded. Without urgent intervention on land management, emissions, habitat connectivity and legal protection, the report warns, losses may become irreversible.

Sidebar (right column)

Key Findings at a Glance

• Average decline since 1970: 19 % in species abundance National Trust+1

• At-risk species: roughly 1 in 6 in Great Britain National Trust+1

• Habitat stresses: peat, wetland, heathlands drying; fire damage reported The Wildlife Trusts+1

• Conservation gap: only a small fraction of habitat in good condition National Trust+1

• Wildfire incident: charred nests found in Dorset reserve The Wildlife Trusts+1

Page 2 — Question The Times

Secondary Articles & In-Depths

1. “When the Rain Doesn’t Come”

A feature on how drought in reservoirs and streams is reshaping amphibian, dragonfly and pond-ecosystems across lowland England. Interviews with reserve managers reveal sites where pools ran dry by mid-summer, interrupting breeding cycles.

2. “The Burned Edge: Fire in the Wild”

Reporters travled to Upton Heath and neighbouring reserves to document fire scars and their ecological aftermath. Charred vegetation, relict bird nesting areas and invasive species challenges are mapped in before/after panels.

3. “Hope in Patches: Nature Recovery Projects”

Despite the grim headlines, the Wildlife Trusts highlight local success stories: heathland restoration in Dartmoor, peatland rewetting in North Wales, and wildflower corridor creation in the Midlands. These serve as models for scaled-up action.

Call-Out Box

How You Can Help

• Support your local Wildlife Trust

• Lobby MPs for stronger enforcement of habitat protection

• Restore small patches of wildflower, pond or hedgerow on your property

• Promote “nature-positive” farming in your region

Cross-site Link Notice

This article is part of a trio published across allied outlets. To read companion pieces, see:

• Stop.Education (linked article: “Nature’s Classroom in Peril”)

• Stop.Army (linked article: “Defending the Wild Frontline”)

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