HOW CAN NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS HELP NATURE RECOVER?

We are in the middle of a biodiversity crisis.
Read the full paper here >> https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169534725003581

Suspicious Death of Hen Harrier Circe Prompts Charity to
Launch a Fresh Fundraising Appeal

 

Female Hen Harrier Circe, satellite tagged on Tarras Valley Nature Reserve, ‘disappeared’ in the Moorfoot Hills just four months later

Following the suspicious disappearance of young Hen Harrier Circe in the Moorfoot Hills south of Edinburgh, conservation charity Hen Harrier Action has launched a fresh fundraising appeal to satellite tag more Hen Harriers. Circe, satellite tagged by RSPB fieldworkers on the Tarras Valley Nature Reserve in June, was just four months old when her tag stopped transmitting suddenly, indicating she was highly likely to have been illegally killed. Hen Harrier Action trustee Adrian Rowe said “We are devastated by the loss. Circe was a healthy, thriving Hen Harrier and we had high hopes that she would go on to find a mate and raise a family. In response, we are launching a new fundraising appeal this Christmas to tag even more Hen Harriers next year, to monitor their movements and help to protect them from persecution. Evidence shows that tagged birds are less likely to be singled out by wildlife criminals.” In the days leading up to her disappearance Circe ranged across the Moorfoot Hills, south of Edinburgh. Her tag data shows that the tag was regularly transmitting but then sudden stopped with no sign of tag malfunction. The disappearance was reported to the National Wildlife Crime Unit and the area was searched but no body or tag has been found.

     

 

The troubling extent of insect declines has been highlighted once again by the results of the 2025 Bugs Matter citizen science survey published today.

The latest data show that the number of flying insects sampled on vehicle number plates across the UK has fallen by a staggering 59% in just 5 years.

Bugs Matter, the annual survey from Buglife and Kent Wildlife Trust, has captured the imagination of citizen scientists across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Using the simple but ingenious method of monitoring insect splats on vehicle number plates, the project provides crucial data about insect abundance. Analysis of records from more than 25,000 journeys shows an alarming annual average decline in bug splats of 19%, since the survey began in 2021.

As COP30, the 30th UN climate conference, draws to a close in Brazil this week, world leaders have been discussing priority actions to tackle climate change, one of the key drivers of insect decline. Insects are critical to ecosystem functioning and services. They pollinate crops, provide natural pest control, decompose waste and recycle nutrients, and underpin food chains that support birds, mammals and other wildlife. Without insects, the planet’s ecological systems would collapse.

Andrew Whitehouse of Buglife said: “You might expect that the sunny Spring and hot Summer in 2025 would give insect numbers a boost, however the Bugs Matter data suggest otherwise.  Despite apparently favourable conditions for insects to thrive we have recorded a fifth year of significant decline.   Insects might be small, but they are incredibly important to maintaining healthy environments, and delivering the services that we and other animals rely upon – from healthy soils and clean rivers to pollinating crops.  Losing 59% of our insect life is potentially catastrophic. Urgent action is needed to restore nature at scale and reduce threats like pesticide use, habitat loss, and climate change.”

The new data show decreases in insect splats across all regions of the UK, with the sharpest falls between 2021 and 2025 recorded in England at 60% and Scotland at 59%, while a 56% decrease was shown in Northern Ireland and a 55% decrease was seen in Wales. In 2025 the survey ran in the Republic of Ireland for the first time so there is no trend data, but the splat rates are comparable with other areas surveyed and provide a baseline for subsequent survey years in the Republic of Ireland.

Rosie Bleet of Kent Wildlife Trust added: “These results are extremely concerning, particularly if insect splats serve as an accurate measure of insect populations. This is a red flag for the state of nature in the UK that shouldn’t be ignored. A yearly decrease of 19% is really alarming. It is vital that we continue to run Bugs Matter next year and beyond. We’re so grateful to all of the citizen scientists who were involved in the survey this year, collecting more data than any other year. We need even more of you to get stuck in next year and help track the numbers of these important creatures.”

Citizen scientists logged more than 10,000 journeys in the Bugs Matter app in 2025, covering nearly 481,000km; with more than 700 new users signing up to the app.  We also saw citizen scientists recording journeys in the Shetland Islands for the first time; meaning Bugs Matter participants surveyed as far southwest as Land’s End up to John O’Groats and beyond! We thank everyone who has taken part this year and helped to collect this vitally important data and encourage even more people to take part in 2026.

 

 

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Seahorse Trust Autumn-Winter 2025 newsletter