© Andrew Walter
Thank you for completing the nature and you survey
The next 10 years must be a time of renewal and recovery of the natural environment, of biodiversity, of nature’s recovery, of our individual recovery and that of our loved ones too.
If we each play our part in helping bring back our wildlife now – then maybe nature will still be there when we next need it. It is not too late. But we need to act before it is.
If you can, please will you help nature’s recovery with a donation now?
So how much of Cumbria’s land do you estimate is managed for nature?
Here in Cumbria we calculate that just 15% of land is managed for the benefit of nature. That includes Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s nature reserves and the other places across our county that are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Yes, just 15%. Cumbria has more wildlife sites of national and international importance than any other county. If it’s like this here – then imagine the small amount of land managed for nature in other areas of the UK.
In a recent review, our Government was criticised as being woeful in terms of their conservation of nature. Whilst the Government includes National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty as part of the area they count as being protected, the truth is - whilst they are officially protected, they are not positively managed for nature, they are not biodiverse places.
In Cumbria, only around 1 in 5 of these legally protected sites is in good condition for nature. This leaves nearly four-fifths in an unsatisfactory condition and not meeting even the Government’s own standards.
It’s important that we all add our voice to the urgency for nature’s recovery and do something before it’s too late..
Our natural world is so much more than ‘nice to have’, it’s fundamental to our survival.
Often I find that while people are familiar with the problem of climate change they know less about the loss of nature that’s happening around us. We should be in no doubt. ‘Biodiversity loss’, the destruction of nature, is as grave an issue as climate change.