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My colleague John Underhill-Day, who has died of heart failure aged 74, was an outstanding all-round naturalist who negotiated the purchase for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) of such flagship reserves as Minsmere in Suffolk and Leighton Moss in Lancashire.

During 17 years (1971-88) as deputy chief reserves officer and head land agent at RSPB head office, he was instrumental in the huge expansion of its reserves, persuading landowners to sell. He was an excellent negotiator, tough but fair. He pioneered a holistic approach to RSPB’s reserve management, for nature in general.

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Climate scientists say we must eat less meat but the UK government will not sell that message.

The drive for genetic selection means cattle are increasingly vulnerable to deadly new epidemics that could emerge as the climate warms

Known for their distinctive long horns, the Ankole cattle of western Uganda have evolved over millennia to withstand their harsh environment, with its lengthy dry spells and abundance of local maladies such as trypanosomiasis, a disease spread by the tsetse fly. But after flourishing for almost 10,000 years, the Ankole have begun to rapidly disappear.

Farmland is dwindling in Uganda due to the expanding human population, and Ankole require vast areas to graze. Local herders have responded to the pressure by replacing them, cross-breeding Ankole cattle with industrial species such as the European Holstein. But while these hybrids gain favourable genetic traits from the Holstein, producing more milk and meat, and requiring less land to keep, there is a hidden cost.

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Who was Miss Harrisson? We now know the story of the gardening pioneer denied a scholarship in 1898.

Linda Smith also suffered broken ribs and cuts after she stepped in to stop a 183cm kangaroo hurting her husband

A Queensland wildlife carer has severe injuries including a collapsed lung after she was attacked by a kangaroo. 

Experienced wildlife carer Linda Smith, 64, had a collapsed lung, broken ribs, cuts and other injuries after a 183cm kangaroo attacked after she stepped in to stop it hurting her husband near Millmerran on Saturday night.

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How can we live in a fiery world?

It’s a very lucky person who swims with whales – but many take heart from knowing such ecosystems exist and believe they need to be protected

I pull the outboard out of gear and let the boat’s momentum wash away until we’re dead in the water. Then I switch everything off – engine, echo sounder, even the radio – and there’s silence. Not even the sound of water lapping against the hull. Because it’s breathless out here today. The surface of the gulf is silky. The sky is cloudless, a shade paler than the water. And behind us, onshore, the arid ridges and canyons of the Cape Range are mottled pink and blond in the morning light.

There’s only the two of us aboard, and although the air and water are still enough to be dreamlike we’re not at all relaxed. In fact, each of us is craning at opposite sides of the boat, heads cocked, tense with anticipation.

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Puffin populations are struggling, but some young volunteers are coming to their rescue.

Inland bird populations are being forced out of their usual habitat as the drought cripples food sources.

James Hansen, ‘father of climate science’, accuses Britain of ignoring science

One of the world’s leading climate scientists has launched a scathing attack on the government’s fracking programme, accusing ministers of aping Donald Trump and ignoring scientific evidence.

James Hansen, who is known as the father of climate science, warned that future generations would judge the decision to back a UK fracking industry harshly.

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A team is preparing for the trip to the "most remote construction site in the world".

Much of the excess carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere dissolves in sea water and moves south joining the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.

Descendants of the 15th Century residents are now fighting to have it recognised as their homeland.

A daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.

The New Hampshire Supreme Court said Friday it will hear an appeal from US-based utility Eversource to construct its cross-border Northern Pass hydroelectric line after a state committee denied the project necessary permits earlier this year.

Oregon Republican state representative Knute Buehler said this week during a debate that he would oppose legislation to develop a carbon market if elected on Nov. 6 in the state’s tight gubernatorial race, the second major climate policy the candidate has come out against.

The UK will exit the EU carbon market in late March 2019 if Brexit negotiators fail to strike a divorce deal, the British government said in a notice late Friday, while also suggesting UK entities consider opening registry accounts on the continent to retain access to their emission unit holdings.

European carbon prices added 2.5% on Friday to finish the week back above €20 after plunging to a one-month low in the previous session.

Fall in pound and uncertainty has led to farmers paying more to attract or retain EU workers

Brexit is about to make Christmas turkeys more expensive. Prices are to jump as a result of the fall in the value of the pound and higher wages farmers now have to pay to their east European pluckers.

Paul Kelly, the chairman of the British Turkey Federation and boss of KellyBronze, a free range producer, said the industry was being forced to increase prices because of a 5% to 7% rise in costs.

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The UK will be excluded from participating in the EU ETS under a 'no deal' Brexit scenario, the government announced late on Friday.