Hundreds of England’s most threatened native wildlife are to be protected from extinction, thanks to the largest ever government funding for threatened species announced today.
The government will invest £60 million over the next three years – more than double the previous round of funding – into the Species Recovery Programme, marking the largest ever government investment in directly supporting threatened species.
A further £30 million will be dedicated to fund species recovery on the national forest estate, News Cover reports, citing the UK government's official website.
It comes as Defra unveils a new campaign, “Wild Again: Restoring England’s Wildlife”, which will encompass the government’s existing and future work to protect and recover native species through projects including the flagship Species Recovery Programme.
The programme, run by Natural England, funds conservation projects including habitat restoration, captive breeding and species reintroductions, helping to tackle habitat loss, safeguard our fragile ecosystems such as ancient woodland and chalk streams, and restore nature-rich landscapes.
Successful projects set to receive funding for 2026-2029 will be confirmed by Natural England in May but early indications suggest the funding will support action across a wide range of species from birds to beetles, moths to mammals and spiders, snails and seahorses.
