In this month’s episode of Nature Newscast (October 2026) host Ajay Tegala visits the second annual Wild Summit in Bristol to meeting some key contributors, catches up with Butterfly Conservation’s Emma Butler to get an exclusive preview of the results of this year’s Big Butterfly Count – the sixteenth annual survey – and talks to Emma Brand from the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) about a ground-breaking new project to create the UK’s first ‘Wetland City’ in Bristol, working with funding partner Aviva to deliver over 200 projects from small ponds and rain gardens to river restoration. Read more about this exciting episode here, and watch the whole show on our YouTube channel.
Join Ajay as he learns more about the work of the Woodland Trust on their Trees for All project, catches up with the community support team from the RSPB, and joins Springwatch regular Lucy Lapwing under the shadow of a giant pheasant (P-Rex) to talk about their End Game campaign.
Plus, in a terrific interview with Wild Justice co-founder and Raptor Persecution UK author Ruth Tingay, Ajay learns about a magical Hen Harrier experience Ruth enjoyed at his local Wicken Fen nature reserve on the winter solstice.
2026 was a good year for butterflies, the second best in 16 years of the survey, according to Emma Butler from Butterfly Conservation. Ajay managed to bag an exclusive preview of the results of this year’s Big Butterfly Count on the steps of Wild Summit.
Painted Ladies were up 225% on last year, and Holly Blue recorded it’s best year since the survey started, up 42% on last year. Ivy is a crucial food plant for the species. But Speckled Wood, Green Veined Whites and Ringlets all suffered from the unusually dry conditions this summer, according to Emma.
With this year’s Wild Summit being held in Bristol, it was especially relevant to talk to WWT’s Emma Brand about their project to make Bristol the UK’s first ‘Wetland City‘, working with their partner Aviva to introduce more than 200 projects big and small, from rain gardens to restoring rivers and streams, to show how climate resilience can benefit the people and the wildlife of a major city.
According to Emma, the work will benefit Bristol in many ways, from cooling areas at times of extreme heat to absorbing excess water and protecting against flooding. It is hoped that the project will become an internationally recognised blueprint for towns and cities everywhere.
