14 March 2023 – The UK’s natural world is spectacular, but it’s also in crisis. And when it comes to protecting nature, the UK is in the bottom 10%.
The UK’s nature is in crisis, but national treasure Sir David Attenborough believes there is hope, as long as we all come together to act, we can save our amazing wildlife.
The truth is, every one of us, no matter who we are or where we live, can and must play a part in restoring nature. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed or powerless by the scale of the issues facing our planet, but we have the solutions. I am hopeful for the future, because although nature is in crisis, now is the time for action, and together we can save it.
Sir David Attenborough
Sir David’s comments came after the first episode of his new programme Wild Isle has aired. At the same time, the three biggest conservation charities in the UK have launched their “Save Our Wild Isles” campaign.
UK Nature In Crisis
According to the 2019 published National Biodiverstity Network State of Nature Report, since 1970, 41% of UK species populations have declined. Including such favourites as hedgehogs, who have declined by 95% since the 1950s.
Hedgehogs are now classed as vulnerable to extinction and are on Great Britain’s Rest List for mammals.
Turtle dove numbers have declined by 98% and the common toad has seen a decline by 68%. Other UK animals have disappeared completely. These declines are mostly due to persecution, pollution, climate change, habitat loss and degradation.
25% of our mammals are now classes as at risk of extinction. Since the 1500s, the UK has seen 133 species go extinct.
On this list we find animals such as lynx and wolves as well as the apple bumblebee and the common tree frog.
And it’s not just animals: plants don’t fare any better. 97% of UK wildflower meadows have disappeared since the 1930s.
Ancient woodlands provide habitats for a wide range of insects, birds and mammals. But there are not many left, only 2.4% of the UK are covered by ancient woodlands.
These stark statistics show that urgent action is needed from all of us to start protecting nature to safeguard it for future generations.
76% Of Brits Worried About UK Nature
According to a YouGov poll, which was commissioned for the “Save Our Wild Isles” campaign, 76% of people in the UK are concerned about the state of the UK’s natural world.
However, many underestimate how bad the situation really is. The poll shows that only 5% of people would say that the UK is one of the worst countries for protecting nature.
More than half, 55%, think that the UK does no worse or better than the rest of the world. This is in stark contrast to reality.
In fact, according to the Living Planet Index by the Natrual History Museum, the UK does quite bad. It’s in the bottom 10% of countries.
However, it’s not yet too late to save our UK nature. But the National Trust, WWF and the RSPB warn that we have to act now.
Save Our Wild Isles
The UK’s three biggest conservation charities, the National Trust, WWF and the RSPB have joined up forces to launch their “Save Our Wild Isles” campaign.
With 8.5 million members combined, these charity heavy weights want to call on everyone to do what they can to protect the natural world.
It will take every single one of us to play our part. […] It needs to be individuals. It needs to be communities coming together. It needs to be businesses, and it needs to be our leaders.
Rebecca Munro, Executive Director of the RSPB
Protecting nature can and should be done by everyone. The campaign urges everyone to “Go wild once a week”.
By making space for nature in our garden, balconies, window boxes or community areas, we can all make a difference.
The charities recognise that many people want to protect nature, but don’t know where to start. So the campaign provides people with small actions everyone can take.
Whether it’s to use your car less and instead walk or cycle, eating less meat and dairy or turning off the tap while brushing your teeth. These are little things, but if we all do them, it will make a big difference.
Plastic pollution is another big problem for our natural world and there too everyone can help. Reducing the amount of plastic we use is one way. Ensuring that we recycle as much plastic as possible is another.
Switching to more eco-friendly alternatives that don’t contain plastic can make a big difference too. Using beeswax wraps instead of cling film or bamboo travel cups instead of plastic ones are easy swaps that everyone can make.
There are so many small things we can all do to bring nature back from the brink. But we have to act now, before it’s too late.
