China’s tree cover increased, but natural forests kept shrinking and fragmenting. (AI photo) China’s ambitious tree-planting campaigns have helped increase the country’s overall forest cover over the past three decades. But a new study says the growth in planted forests tells only part of the story.While millions of hectares of trees were added to the…

Hermitage quarry beside Oaken Wood. Under the soil sits Kentish ragstone, which Kent county council says is crucial for the conservation of ancient buildings. In 1600, Oaken Wood near Maidstone was already an established English woodland; in 2026, Kent County Council proposed turning 41 hectares of it into a stone quarry, reports the Guardian.The Reform-led…