your say Have


Turn to page 12 to change the Bill for the better


A network to put nature into recovery


While the political battles rage on, wildlife faces its ongoing battle to survive. Despite political upheavals, there are some things that are certain: nature needs our help, butterfl ies don’t recognise borders


and wildlife won’t recover if we don’t act now. Wildlife Trust members have formed a


movement and fought off thousands of risks to wildlife. Hundreds of wildlife sites are still here because we’ve saved them: Askham Bog in York, Rampisham Down in Dorset, Eithinog in North Wales…. We’ve campaigned to end the use of pesticides that all but killed off our otters, and helped bring otters back. We’ve secured over a hundred Marine Protected Areas. As charities, we care for over two thousand wildlife refuges and we’ve started to piece things back together with landscape scale initiatives. This is all great stuff , but we have been


“Every space in Britain must


be used to help wildlife.” Sir David Attenborough


The UK has thousands of nature reserves – the Wildlife Trusts alone look after 2,300 of them. These


reserves perform an essential role in species


protection. But wildlife has still disappeared at an alarming rate.


Main pic above: a pyramidal orchid about to disappear on a site in Kent being cleared for development


For wildlife to recover and thrive, parks,


housing estates, farms and city centres must be wildlife-friendly: a


network giving wildlife the freedom to move around. This can be


achieved with a strong


Environment Act.


What’s more, it is vital that the Bill


makes it a statutory requirement to produce Nature Recovery Network maps. These must infl uence decisions both about built development and about farming to give wildlife room to manoeuvre.


As part of our Wilder Future campaign we are encouraging our supporters to meet with their MPs and ask them to stand up for wildlife and create a bold visionary piece of legislation proportionate to the vast environmental challenge we face. Unless Ministers and MPs improve upon this draft Bill, we will continue to see a decline in our wildlife and the health of our ecosystems for generations to come.


swimming against the tide. Much stronger laws are needed to halt and reverse nature’s decline. This is the only sure way to remove barriers to the free movement of wildlife across our islands. So the solution we are calling for is this: statutory


Nature Recovery Network maps. These would map out how to join-up important places for wildlife that are currently isolated, identifying where habitat needs to be put back. These would result in better planning decisions and better targeting of farm support and funds from developers. After all, we are part of nature, so this will also benefi t us through reduced fl ooding, cleaner air and better health. With your help we can ensure that the


Westminster Environment Act planned for 2019 is improved to make provisions for this. But individual actions are also important. Wherever you live, you can help create more space for nature. Why not install a bee brick in your wall or have fl owers in a window box as a service station for a passing pollinator? Together we can create a Wilder Future.


Stephanie Hilborne OBE Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts @stephhilborne


The Kiln, Waterside, Mather Rd, Newark, Notts NG24 1WT Website: wildlifetrusts.org Tel: 01636 677711 Email: enquiry@wildlifetrusts.org Twitter: @wildlifetrusts Facebook: Facebook.com/wildlifetrusts Instagram: @thewildlifetrusts Charity No: 207238 Cover: Painted lady on black knapweed, by Bob Coyle


Natural World 33


news and issues: wildlifetrusts. org/news


Latest UK-wide


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44