Patrick Barkham

When Adrian Ramsay confounded more than a century of Conservative hegemony in rural East Anglia to win Waveney Valley for the Greens on a wave of local enthusiasm , he might have expected to enjoy a pleasant political honeymoon.

It is the second-best place for nightingales in the country, a sanctuary for rare barbastelle bats and home to nearly 1,500 invertebrate species, including a quarter of all Britain's spider species.

Idea that every habitat is replaceable is a misuse of biodiversity net gain, say ecological experts

Critics say eels could be smuggled eastwards towards Asia but exporter says they are for ‘restocking’ project

A forest in Ecuador could be recognised as the co-creator of a song under a groundbreaking legal proposal.

Tree still fruiting on site owned by Nottingham Trent University but afflicted by honey fungus infection

In 2000, only one of these Arctic beasts was resident in the UK. Now there are 16. Is there any benefit to captivity for this climate-ravaged species?

Widespread in England, it joins other species to have expanded range in recent years due to climate change

Charity promises to buy and set up new not-for-profit parcels of land with peppercorn rents for two communities

Bedfordshire farm was saved through public donations after a successful £1.5m crowdfunding campaign