In this episode of Nature In A Nutshell, we break down Biodiversity Net Gain, or Biodiversity Enhancement, in Ireland and what this means for people and nature and some positive news about a rare plant making a remarkable comeback in Kent. With special guests Liz O’Reilly, CIEEM’s Ireland Coordinator and part of CIEEM’s Policy Team, Senator Malcolm Noonan of the Green Party and Hannah Sheridan, Senior Ecologist at Arup

Nature In A Nutshell is brought to you by the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM). We are the leading professional membership body representing and supporting ecologists and environmental managers in the UK, Ireland and abroad. 

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Show notes:

• Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended) - Regulation 3ZA: implementation report 2019 to 2024
• Habitats Regulations Report underscores the need for urgent action to restore nature in Northern Ireland
• IBGC Recommendations for the Enhancement of Biodiversity in New Residential Developments
• CIEEM BNG in the Island of Ireland: Survey results report (August 2025)
• CIEEM Position paper: Implementation of a biodiversity metric in Scotland (September 2025)
• CIEEM Response to Ireland’s draft National Nature Restoration Plan (1 July 2026)
• CIEEM Ecology Skills & Capacity in Ireland
• CIEEM Briefing Paper: Biodiversity Net Gain in Ireland

To find out more please go to TIIPublications.ie and search ‘Biodiversity Metric’ and for access to the full Metric Package email [email protected] for access.

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In this episode of Nature In A Nutshell, we look at a new report on nature and the economy, review the Welsh and Scottish election results and what they mean for the environment, and finish with some good news about a first-of-its-kind infrastructure project.

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Show notes:

• Planetary Solvency: Tipping into the Wild Unknown – Global Nature Risk Management
• Plaid Cymru’s Environmental Policies
• Wildlife using new UK’s first heathland wildlife bridge within days of opening

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In this episode of Nature In A Nutshell, we’re joined by Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) expert, Dr Julia Baker from Mott MacDonald, to unpack the latest BNG developments and what they could mean for ecologists, planners, developers, and land managers across the sector.

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We’d love your feedback on Nature In A Nutshell. This short survey will take 2-3 minutes to complete and will help us shape future episodes.

Show notes:

• Government publishes new announcements on BNG
• Government confirms forthcoming changes to Biodiversity Net Gain rules
• Government confirms Biodiversity Net Gain for major infrastructure from November 2026
• The fast-track tree breeding method that is restoring ash to the landscape

This episode may contain dynamically inserted advertisements served by our hosting platform, Acast. These advertisements are not selected by, affiliated with, or endorsed by CIEEM, and do not necessarily reflect our views or values.

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In this episode of Nature In A Nutshell, we discuss the new approach to bat licensing in England; an overview of the upcoming national elections in Wales and Scotland, which could potentially be pretty seismic; a short piece on Northern Ireland's Nature Recovery Strategy; we’ll cover the Westminster Government’s response to the Fingleton Review; and, as always, we’ll end with some positive news from the last month. 

Visit our website: https://cieem.net/

We’d love your feedback on Nature In A Nutshell. This short survey will take 2-3 minutes to complete and will help us shape future episodes.

Show notes:

• Natural England exploring new approaches to bat licensing
• CIEEM Manifesto for the Senedd Election 2026
• CIEEM Manifesto for the Scottish Election 2026
• Nuclear Regulatory Review 2025: Major Gaps in Understanding of Environmental Law and Ecology
• Government responds to the Fingleton Review
• The Government’s Response to the Fingleton Review: Progress and Continuing Concerns – by Sally Hayns CEcol FCIEEM
• Public Accounts Committee publishes report saying Defra does not have necessary resources

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In this episode of Nature In A Nutshell, we update you on the Wales Environment Act, the reports on implementation of Habitats Regulations across the UK and Ireland, a new national security and biodiversity report, an update on IPBES-12, and we finish with our usual good news.

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We’d love your feedback on Nature In A Nutshell. This short survey will take 2-3 minutes and will help us shape future episodes. You can also submit a question for our upcoming Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) episode!

Show notes:

• Landmark national security report on biodiversity loss released with little public attention
• IPBES-12: a scientific reality check for the global economy – and a blueprint for business action on nature
• The RACE Report 2025 Sees Racial Diversity Boost

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In this episode of Nature In A Nutshell, we are joined by special guests to talk honestly about life as a parent working in the ecology sector. From career paths and fieldwork realities to flexibility, support, and shared caregiving, we explore how becoming a parent can shape professional choices - and how the sector is (slowly) changing in response.

Our guests share their experiences of juggling unsociable hours and seasonal pressures, the compromises they’ve made along the way, and what workplace practices have made the biggest positive difference for their families.

We also look ahead, asking what still needs to change to better support parents and carers in ecology, and what advice they’d give to those considering parenthood.

Thank you to our guests:

• Anita Hogan CEcol CEnv MCIEEM
• Nick Marchant MCIEEM
• Laura Sanderson CEcol CEnv MCIEEM
• Hannah Williams MCIEEM

Visit our website: https://cieem.net/

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In this episode of Nature In A Nutshell, we are joined by CIEEM's CEO, Sally Hayns, CIEEM's Vice President for Scotland, Caroline McParland, and Chair of CIEEM's Strategic Policy Panel, Ben Kite, to review the ecology and environmental management news of 2025, and look ahead to 2026.

2025 was a very busy year - the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, BNG, Scotland's Natural Environment Bill and Wales Environment Bill were all on centre stage. We also discuss what we expect to happen next with these major pieces of policy work in 2026, as well as COP26...it's looking like an equally busy year!

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In this episode of Nature In A Nutshell, we welcome Ellie Strike - Head of Regulatory Programmes - at the Office for Environmental Protection (the OEP) to talk about their report on Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS). The report came out in July but the Government have just responded.

We also cover the first discussion of Stage 2 amendments to the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill and the latest on England's Planning and Infrastructure Bill (as of the date of recording on 19 November).

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Show notes:

• OEP Report on Local Nature Recovery Strategies and their contribution toward nature recovery commitments (June 2025)
• Government response to the Office for Environmental Protection review of Local Nature Recovery Strategies and their role in contributing to nature recovery commitments in England (October 2025)
• Update on Scotland's Natural Environment Bill
• CIEEM's Planning and Infrastructure Bill webpage
• EU to integrate climate education into school curriculum

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In this episode of Nature In A Nutshell, we welcome our CIEEM colleagues Brian Heppenstall and Annie Robinson to talk about our Green Jobs for Nature project, which aims to encourage young people to consider pursuing a job in the environment sector.

We also discuss the latest updates to the Natural Environmental Bill in Scotland and the Planning and Infrastructure Bill in England.

Visit our website: https://cieem.net/

Show notes:

• Green Jobs for Nature website
• Green Jobs for Nature submit a job profile
• Green Careers Week Festival
• What you should know about part 2 of Scotland's Natural Environment Bill
• Planning and Infrastructure Bill updates
• Seven beavers released in Glen Affric
• Beavers released in Glen Affric 400 years after extinction in Scotland

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In this episode of Nature In A Nutshell, we welcome James Hicks, Associate Director at RSK Wilding and founding member of the CIEEM Ecological Restoration Special Interest Group, on the podcast to discuss the recently published Rebuilding Nature: Good Practice Principles on Ecological Restoration.

We also cover the Environment Link report on the UK's progress towards protecting 30% of land, freshwater and marine areas, and our usual Planning and Infrastructure Bill updates.

Visit our website: https://cieem.net/

Show notes:

• Good Practice Guidance for Ecological Restoration
• Environment Link 30by30 report
• Planning and Infrastructure Bill updates

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