Surinam toads - a species that carries its developing young beneath the skin of the female’s back - have bred at Chester Zoo for the first time. The aquatic toads, which are native to South America and rarely seen in UK zoos, are famous for their distinctive reproductive process.

As thousands across the UK complete their Big Garden Birdwatch counts, British Garden Centres is encouraging participants not to let their bird-watching efforts end with the weekend. The annual RSPB event, now in its 47th year, saw families spend an hour recording garden visitors between 23rd and 25th January.

As temperatures drop and natural food sources become scarce, the team at the UK’s largest family-run garden centre group, British Garden Centres, is calling on gardeners to help wildlife through winter, as native species face tough conditions during the coldest season.

Gardeners don’t expect much in winter but there is not much to be dissatisfied over in recent weeks. Recent rainfall has recharged the soil water levels after they hit a low point in the very hot, dry summer last year. There is still some winter left and therefore time to add more water butts to capture and store rainfall.

Chester Zoo has announced a new spring 2026 date for its 10K, 5K and one-mile running event. The return of the national zoo’s much-loved Run For Nature will take place on a new springtime date, Sunday 29 March 2025, with funds supporting the zoo’s wildlife conservation efforts in the UK.

Actor Sean Bean is the new host of Get Birding, the multi-award-winning podcast for all birders, from first-timers to experienced field observers. A passionate birder himself, Sean will host the new, always-on series of Get Birding, with the first episode earlier this week – just in time for the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend.

A camera study has captured amazing images of hedgehogs interacting with UK species in urban settings. Food was found to be the biggest driver of hedgehog visits – but wildlife feeding needs more study. Data supports the theory that gardens are increasingly important habitats for hedgehogs More than four hundred households took part in the survey, perhaps the biggest single-species camera study to take place in the UK.

Expert surveys have confirmed that grasslands in Nidderdale are of international and national importance for rare grassland fungi, including waxcaps, highlighting the value of long-established grassland management in the area. Grassland fungi specialist Steve Hindle surveyed three sites in Nidderdale, recording 62 species of grassland fungi, including 32 waxcap species.

In 2025, it is suspected that a total of seven RSPB satellite-tagged Hen Harriers were illegally killed on or near grouse moors in northern England, with one Hen Harrier confirmed poisoned and six more disappearing in suspicious circumstances – all sending their final transmission on or near land managed for grouse shooting.

In spring 2026, the Forest of Bowland National Landscape will unveil its new five-year Management Plan—a bold and refreshed vision to protect, enhance and celebrate this extraordinary place for generations to come.

The world’s largest garden wildlife survey returns this month, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to watch and count the UK’s garden birds over the last weekend in January for the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch. Nearly 600, 000 people took part in 2025, counting more than nine million birds. This year’s event takes place on 23, 24 and 25 January 2026.

A rare Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo joey has emerged from his mother’s pouch at Chester Zoo - marking a major conservation milestone for one of the world’s most threatened marsupials. The newborn joey, a male, arrived to parents Kitawa (mum) and Kayjo (dad) as part of an international conservation breeding programme that’s ensuring the continued survival of the species.

Gardens across the UK are set to be more popular than ever in 2026, as people look for outdoor spaces that are beautiful, low-maintenance, and good for their wellbeing.

Nominations have officially opened for this year’s Schöffel Countryside Awards which return following the success of last year’s inaugural event.

As the festive season starts to fill homes with sparkle and cheer, one day in December stands out for plant lovers and décor enthusiasts alike: Poinsettia Day on December 12th.

As the days grow shorter and the temperature dips, gardeners across the UK are turning their attention to protecting their plants and preparing their gardens for the cold months ahead. Winter might seem like a time for gardens to rest, but the work you do now can make all the difference to how well your plants bounce back in spring.

Communities across Lancashire are playing a vital role in protecting their local rivers thanks to Ribble Rivers Trust’s work as part of the national Catchment Systems Thinking Cooperative (CaSTCo) project.

Work is now well under way on one of the most ambitious features of Kynren – The Storied Lands, as construction begins on the vast new Lost Feather Arena, a signature experience set to open in summer 2026. Shaped like an enormous bird nest, the 3,600 seat arena is already taking form, with the first structural elements now rising across the landscaped site.

Key figures from across the UK’s agricultural showing scene are celebrating the success and resilience of their showcase events at the home of the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate.

Winter does not have to mean a dull, lifeless garden, as we all need colour and warmth to cheer us up in the shorter, darker days. With the right plants and a little care, you can enjoy a beautiful outdoor space full of colour and interest throughout the winter months.

Conservationists at Chester Zoo have welcomed two very special new arrivals - Northeast African cheetah brothers, Kendi and Tafari. The one-year-old siblings have travelled from Yorkshire Wildlife Park to Chester as part of an important conservation initiative to help safeguard their species from extinction.

Every autumn, spiders become more visible. They are present all year round but we really only begin to ‘see’ them and their webs from late summer into winter. Outside, masses of cobwebs will dazzle us with their dewy or frosty finish early in the morning. Inside the home, we might also be lucky to see male house spiders leaving the safety of their funnel webs as they go exploring for a mate!

A new project in the Forest of Bowland National Landscape will see volunteers learning how to identify colourful waxcap fungi and the rare grassland habitats where they are found.

A groundbreaking new vaccine - the first of its kind - can now be rolled out globally to help in the battle against a deadly virus that has devastated endangered elephant populations.

After an extremely dry summer, the rain has arrived and with it, signs of Autumn are appearing. While the break from relentless sun is a positive for British gardens, the changing seasons represent some dangers to our outside spaces.

The hot summer weather followed by a warm and wet autumn has created the perfect conditions for fungi this autumn. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s second Fungi Festival includes foraging walks, ID walks, log inoculation workshops, talks, craft sessions, and storytelling. The Trust is also encouraging young people to join a mushroom march with DIY mushroom hats.

As the days shorten and temperatures drop in September, birds will either begin stocking up for the colder months or preparing for long migrations.

A major tree-planting project has transformed Fishwick Bottoms, Preston, with 11,800 native trees now creating a thriving riverside woodland. The initiative, delivered by Clitheroe based environmental charity Ribble Rivers Trust, will boost biodiversity, improve water quality, and help protect communities from flooding.

Eight chicks belonging to a dove species that has been extinct in the wild for decades have successfully hatched at Chester Zoo – boosting survival hopes for the incredibly rare birds. Today, all remaining Socorro doves are cared for in zoo conservation-breeding programmes across Europe and North America, which are working to pull the species back from the brink.

When you think of autumn gardens, do you imagine dull leaves and fading flowers? You couldn’t be more wrong. British Garden Centres has put together a guide to instant impact plants that can make a garden burst into vibrant life, delivering both colour and joy.