THE GUARDIAN reports a rare species of orchid believed to have been extinct in the UK has been discovered on the roof of an office building in the City of London.
Serapias parviflora, also known as small-flowered tongue orchid, was found growing in the 11th-floor rooftop garden of the Japanese investment bank Nomura. It is usually found in the Mediterranean basin and the Atlantic coast of France, Spain and Portugal.
The Oserver reports the Egyptian birds are one of a number of foreign visitors, but why have these continental drifters fled north?
The Guardian reports Rob Taylor’s job will involve working with the four police forces in Wales, the UK government, other emergency services and wildlife and farming representatives to tackle countryside crime from fly-tipping to heating oil theft.
The Independent reports the government’s long-awaited environment bill contains too many usages of the term “biodiversity”, where “nature” could be used instead as it is a “sexier word … with more public traction”, the House of Lords has heard.
According to Conservative former minister Lord Blencathra, the term “nature” commands greater understanding than “biodiversity”, and people can more readily relate to it.
BBC News reports a committee of MPs has lambasted the UK government’s approach to nature, saying it is failing to stem huge losses of plants and species. Their report says that the UK has the lowest remaining levels of biodiversity among the world’s richer nations.
The MPs say the government spends far more on exploiting the natural environment than it does conserving it. They’re calling for legally binding targets for nature similar to the UK’s climate laws.
The Times reports conservationists have warned that bee and insect hotels for sale in retailers including Dunnes Stores and Lidl, as well as in many garden centres, could have a sting in the tail: they may not help many bees and could be harmful if used incorrectly.