Ministers have pledged £90 million to safeguard hundreds of England’s most threatened native wildlife from extinction.

This funding, which the Environment Department (Defra) calls the largest-ever investment in species protection, will support efforts to reintroduce or bolster populations of birds, beavers, beetles, snails, spiders, and seahorses across England.

Hundreds of local projects will receive a share of £60 million through Natural England’s species recovery programme over the next three years, Defra said.