News

Encouraging Swifts into CambridgeAs Swifts return to the David Attenborough Building, Dr Mike Rands, Master of Darwin College, talks about these magical birds.The joy of summer to some is signalled by the return of the Common Swift. In groups, swirling above our heads, their calls known as ‘screaming parties’ can often be heard from late spring. Hi…

Global mangrove forests recovering, offering hopeful sign for climate and coastal resilienceMangrove forests, once considered one of the world’s most threatened coastal ecosystems, are showing signs of recovery worldwide, according to new research that finds decades of losses largely offset by regrowth and expansion. The study, based on four decade…

Mining for ‘clean energy’ metals driving widespread forest loss in Africa, study findsA study involving the University of Cambridge has found that 187,000 hectares of forest were lost to mining activity in Africa between 2001 and 2020 - an area roughly equivalent to the country of Mauritius.'Cobalt and copper mining drives particularly high levels …

Informing the potential of mature temperate forests as natural climate solutions: Changed fine root biomass and morphology under elevated CO2Adriane Esquivel Muelbert and colleagues investigated the effects of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) on fine tree roots, the primary source of soil carbon. To increase the available surface area for water and nu…

Where migratory birds stop may determine their futureA study led by Dr Sayam Chowdhury of our Conservation Science Group, draws on more than 14 years of shorebird monitoring in Bangladesh, combined with satellite tracking across Asia, to offer important insights into the decline of migratory shorebird species.This research began with a simple but u…

Srinivasan Keshav, co-lead of the TESSERA project at the University of Cambridge, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.Srinivasan Keshav, a renowned expert in computer networking and pioneer in energy informatics, joins the country’s most prestigious scientific fellowship.Srinivasan Keshav, co-principal investigator of the TESSERA project at t…

TESSERA - the AI model helping to protect hedgehogs from spaceHedgehogs are under threat in this country. Government surveys suggest their numbers have fallen by up to 75% in rural areas since the turn of the century, and sightings of them in our gardens are rare. But now these much-loved animals are getting help from an unlikely new ally: AI.Resea…

Prof. Lynn Dicks reappointed to the Board of Natural England for a second three-year term.Professor Lynn Dicks has been reappointed for a second three-year term on the Board  of Natural England. This term began on 29 April 2026 and will run until 28 April 2029. Lynn will continue to serve in her role as Co-Chair of Natural England’s Science Advisor…

Support local people to protect world’s nature, new report urges, as deadline for global conservation target loomsAchieving an international conservation target to protect almost a third of the world’s land and sea in the next four years could directly affect the lives of almost half the people on the planet, finds a new report."Planning land-use c…

Can we feed the world without breaking the planet?What do potatoes, pigs and pollinators have in common?They’re all vital in feeding the growing human population – but modern intensive farming has created huge problems we can no longer ignore.“We're taking more out of the environment than the environment can sustain. If you consider nature as capit…

Carbon credits have enabled vital protection of tropical forests, despite being oversold tenfoldA major analysis led by the University of Cambridge has found that many REDD+ projects achieved meaningful reductions in forest loss - offering real environmental benefits.This is despite the study confirming that almost eleven times more carbon credits …

The RSBP's advice on feeding garden birds has changed: Dr Jack Shutt explains whyUK residents put out enough bird food each year to feed more than 3 times the entire populations of garden bird food consuming bird species if they ate nothing else. In response to emerging evidence, the RSPB has asked the public to rethink this practice. Research has …

Helping young conservationists plug in and shine brightThe Student Conference in Conservation Science has connected thousands of young conservationists determined to tackle the biodiversity crisis - and this year celebrates its 25th anniversary.Over the last quarter of a century, something extraordinary has emerged from Cambridge: an annual gatheri…

The Royal Society Environment Prize Lecture will be delivered by Professor Andrew Balmford FRSThe Environment Medal and Lecture 2025 is awarded to Professor Andrew Balmford FRS for groundbreaking contributions to conservation science, having built transformative partnerships and redefining the landscape of conservation education.Food production doe…

25th Student Conference on Conservation ScienceThe 25th Student Conference on Conservation Science takes place here in Zoology this week.  Conservationists and students from across the globe will travel to Cambridge to take part. Four delegates told us about the importance of the event to them, and to their research.Fetratiana Rakotomanga, Universi…