Abbreviation | PTES |
---|---|
Formation | 1977 |
Legal status | Charitable organization |
Purpose | Science-led conservation of rare and endangered species and habitats |
Location |
|
Region served | UK, funds projects worldwide |
Membership | 20 employees (2025) ~50,000 volunteers |
Chief Executive | Nida Al-Fulaij |
Main organ | Board of Trustees |
Website | PTES |
Peoples Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is a UK-based charitable organisation registered in England and Wales. Founded in 1977, PTES works on the frontlines of conservation by supporting vital projects that address the threats faced by species at risk of extinction globally. Through a combination of scientific research, monitoring, education, habitat restoration and public engagement, the organisation seeks to ensure that endangered species not only survive but thrive. It also owns and manages two nature reserves. PTES collaborates with local communities, governments, and conservation organisations worldwide to create lasting solutions for the preservation of biodiversity. With a focus on both iconic species and lesser-known wildlife, PTES is committed to ensuring these animals thrive in the future. [1] As of January 2025, PTES has 20 employees, five trustees and coordinates around 50,000 volunteers in the UK [2] . PTES relies on donations from the general public and grants from trusts and foundations to continue its work - it receives no core funding from the UK Government. The organisation has registered charity number 274206.
PTES was founded in 1977. Originally based in South Kensington at Imperial College London, PTES moved to its present location in Battersea, south-west London in 1993. In 2001 PTES developed Mammals Trust UK, a restricted fund and campaign targeting the conservation of British mammals. In 2006, Mammals Trust UK was incorporated under the activities of PTES. PTES still operates a ring-fenced funding stream for British mammals but the names ‘Mammals Trust UK’ and 'Mammals Trust' have since been disbanded.
PTES exists to support and restore natural heritage – the diverse assemblages of species and their habitats – through practical conservation and by educating and informing people about its importance. The charity supports conservation projects and research both in the UK and abroad through three funding schemes: 'Conservation Insight Grants’, ‘UK mammal grants’ and ‘Conservation Internship Awards’. [3] The charity's work in the UK has a focus on mammals, with hazel dormice, European hedgehogs and European water voles as the current key species. Saproxylic beetles are also a key group. Traditional orchards, wood pasture and parkland, and hedgerows are key habitats [4] . Assistance from volunteers and collaboration with other environmental organisations are integral to this work.
PTES runs several national, public-participation surveys aimed at monitoring wild populations and habitats.
As of 2025, extant surveys are:
In 2011, in partnership with wildlife charity the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS), PTES launched the campaign 'Hedgehog Street’ in response to a detected decline in Britain’s hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) population.
As of 2025, the campaign has more than 130,000 registered volunteers called ‘Hedgehog Champions’ who are committed to making changes in their gardens to encourage and support hedgehogs. The Hedgehog Street website provides volunteers with information about the ecology and behaviour of hedgehogs, tips on ways of managing gardens to benefit them, and free resources to encourage volunteers to recruit other people to participate [6] .
One of the major objectives of the campaign is to work with the public and housing developers to connect gardens and greenspaces with 'Hedgehog Highways', which are 13cm x 13cm square holes in fences/boundaries that allow hedgehogs to travel further to find food and nesting sites.
As part of the joint campaign, PTES coordinates the European Hedgehog Research Group and convenes a steering group for the species, based on the previous BAP group, that includes the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS), mammal ecologist Dr Pat Morris, and hedgehog enthusiast and author Hugh Warwick. In 2025 they produced the first conservation strategy for the species in the UK. The only UK training course on hedgehog-friendly land management, surveying and mitigation for professionals has also been developed and is being delivered around the UK.
PTES also supports research into the causes of hedgehog decline. Some of this is jointly funded with BHPS.
PTES own and manage 158 hectares of land on the Isle of Wight, including a majority of the Briddlesford Copses Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) together with about 50 hectares of farmland. The Briddlesford Copses represent the largest remaining block of ancient semi-natural woodland on the Isle of Wight. Notable species present include Hazel dormouse, Bechstein’s bat, barbastelle bat, red squirrel, narrow-leaved lungwort and the fungus weevil Pseudeuparius sepicola.
Rough Hill is a traditionally managed orchard of ~4 hectares, located on a bank of the river Avon on the outskirts of Pershore, Worcestershire. Since being acquired by the Trust in 2003, the orchard is being sensitively restored for the benefit of its biodiversity and heritage value. The principal management activities are the provision and care of new fruit trees, restoration pruning of extant mature trees, and the use of extensive livestock grazing to manage the species-rich calcareous grassland communities present.
PTES is a member of the IUCN and Wildlife and Countryside Link. [7] PTES is also one of the original organisations in the State of Nature partnership [8] .
The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is the Gloucestershire local partner in a conservation network of 46 Wildlife Trusts. The Wildlife Trusts are local charities with the specific aim of protecting the United Kingdom's natural heritage. The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is managed by a board of trustees elected from its membership who provide overall direction for the development of the trust and there are advisory committees. The work of the trust is carried out through staff and volunteers.
Durham Wildlife Trust is a registered charity that was established in 1971, originally as the Durham County Conservation Trust, becoming Durham Wildlife Trust in 1988. The Trust operates across the area of the old County Durham, which includes Darlington, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland.
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The European hedgehog, also known as the West European hedgehog or common hedgehog, is a hedgehog species native to Europe from Iberia and Italy northwards into Scandinavia and westwards into the British Isles. It is a generally common and widely distributed species that can survive across a wide range of habitat types. It is a well-known species, and a favourite in European gardens, both for its endearing appearance and its preference for eating a range of garden pests. While populations are currently stable across much of its range, it is declining severely in Great Britain where it is now Red Listed, meaning that it is considered to be at risk of local extinction. Outside its native range, the species was introduced to New Zealand during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
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Briddleford Copses is a 167.2-hectare (413-acre) Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) which is south of Wootton Bridge on the Isle of Wight in Britain. The site was designated an SAC in 1995 in recognition of the internationally important breeding population of Bechstein's bat that are resident there. The majority of the copses form part of the Briddlesford Nature Reserve, owned and managed by the People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), a charitable organisation.
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