Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology - DICE

"Here lies a paradox. Today, those who depend most on a well-conserved nature, with all its fecundity and abundance, often appear to be resisting conservation.

"Meanwhile, those who are distant from it, less vulnerable to the consequences of ecological degradation, and whose futures lie elsewhere, often appear to be the most ardent conservationists. Why is this? What is going on?"

Visiting Fellow, Dr Naya Sharma Paudel, writes this opinion piece in Nepal's top newspaper, The Kathmandu post ⬇️

https://kathmandupost.com/columns/2026/05/27/why-it-is-vital-to-broaden-conservation-framing-beyond-protected-areas

Last week, we welcomed over 150 sixth-form and college students studying biology, environmental science and related subjects to DICE for 'Exploring Ecology'. 🌱

This event was designed to deepen students' understanding of their subjects through a series of short talks and practical workshops.

From how to set up a camera trap to newt monitoring and species identification, the students took part in a variety of activities to put their learning into practice.

They also learned more about how they could take their studies further, in a career-focused Q&A session, which explored topics from higher education pathways, to working abroad, to how young people can make a difference.

Take a look at just a few photos from the day! 📸

Missed last night's DICE Talk? 🗣️

June's was presented by Sophie Jago, a DICE PhD student working on the E3 Sharing Space for Nature initiative.

'Can we protect nature without harming people? Lessons from Ethiopia's protected areas' is now available to watch on YouTube.

Watch now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4PaFTozgvk

An ear and eye into the life of the Blean... 👁️🦻

"Our E3 team is using the latest technological tools to watch and listen to the woodland over time. Across the Wilder Blean, we have deployed a network of camera traps and acoustic recorders. These devices stay in the woodland day and night, recording biodiversity...

This is just the beginning of our research across the Wilder Blean. We are excited for data to start coming in and to build up a picture of both the biodiversity and social outcomes of woodland recovery across England’s first bison introduction initiative."

In this featured blog post, Research Fellow, Dr Natalia Zielonka, shares insights into the E3 project investigating biodiversity and nature recovery across the Wilder Blean Conservation Complex.

Read more on DICE Writes: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/dice/2026/06/03/understanding-nature-in-wilder-blean/

Save the date for this month's DICE Talk! 🗣️

June's DICE Talk will be presented by E3 PhD student, Sophie Jago. Join us next Thursday evening in a NEW venue for a talk on her recently published research on Ethiopia's protected area network. Open to all, no need to book!

'Can we protect nature without harming people? Lessons from Ethiopia's protected area network'

Thursday 11th June, 6-7pm 🗓️
Marlowe Lecture Theatre 1 📍

How to get here: https://www.kent.ac.uk/maps/canterbury/canterbury-campus/building/marlowe-building/marlt1

The 2026 University of Kent BioBlitz was a real success! 🎉

We identified a record number of species, a total of 458, compared with the previous record of 323. Many of the species recorded were campus firsts. With these identifications logged on iNaturalist, we have launched to 2nd in the UK and 7th in the world on the University Campus Biodiversity Network leaderboard!

A huge thank you to our volunteers, without whom the event would not have been possible. The BioBlitz is led by our students, so a big congratulations to the organising team. If you joined us on the day, we hope you had a fantastic time, whether you were on the Nature Detectives trail, the 'mini blitz', went pond dipping or completed a survey.

We're already looking forward to next year! Sign up to our mailing list to be the first to hear about BioBlitz 2027: https://share-eu1.hsforms.com/1oUxiUO1SQHeKP0dOab_pQQ2b8nfa

Missed May's DICE Talk? 🗣️

Last night, three of our final year undergraduate students presented short talks on their research. From golf courses as pollinator habitat, to zoos in parliamentary debate, and the reintroduction suitability of White-Bellied Spider Monkeys, you can watch their presentations on YouTube now ⬇️

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3Ufqgadrag

New research led by DICE PhD student Faye Whiley explores the human dimensions of Eurasian lynx reintroduction in Scotland. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

The study found that stakeholders often framed the same impacts to both support and oppose reintroduction, reflecting existing tensions and polarised views. Individual experiences, human-human relationships and human-wildlife relationships was pivotal in shaping perceptions.

Findings suggest that building trust and relationships with stakeholders should come before attempts to change opinions in future reintroduction efforts.

Read the full study in Conservation Science and Practice: https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/csp2.70312

📸 Image credit: Abhishek Singh

Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are being developed across England to identify priorities for habitat protection, restoration and creation, and to map opportunities for nature recovery. 🗺️

In this featured blog post, Dr Laura Kor summarises a recent project undertaken by DICE Biodiversity Consulting for the High Weald National Landscape Partnership. The project explored how their Management Plan aligns with four overlapping LNRS areas across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

DICE's evaluation found areas of broad alignment, highlighted challenges and explored potential next steps.

Read more on DICE Writes: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/dice/2026/05/15/aligning-nature-recovery-strategies-case-studies-from-protected-landscapes/