...Leave nothing but footprints
Kill nothing but time

Very wise words and a mantra we should all live by. But what if we could make our footprints mean something more? What if we could give them a higher purpose than simply showing where we’ve been? For the last six months we’ve been trying to make this happen and it looks like we’re not the only ones.

Since we launched our Stepping Up for Nature campaign six months ago, we’ve been tirelessly encouraging people to take steps to help save nature and many of you have taken up the challenge. Some of you will have even done it without realising!

Well, I’m thrilled to be able to tell you that in that time, over a million steps for nature have already been taken. That’s one step every 18 seconds. Wow, huge pat on the back, that’s no mean feat!

To refresh your memories, there are countless ways you can step up for nature. In the past six months, you might have bought some rainforest friendly chocolate or smellies from one of our shops, fed garden birds, become a Rainforest Guardian, taken part in Make Your Nature Count, put up nest boxes, or perhaps you volunteer for the RSPB. And of course being a member is one huge step for nature conservation in itself.

See, I knew you were likely to be stepping up without even knowing it!

Well, we just want to take a moment to thank you for your support without which we couldn’t even begin to try to tackle the catastrophic declines in bird species and other wildlife, and the damage and destruction of rainforests. With your help we’ve been able to help turn around the fortunes of wildlife like Sumatran tigers, pygmy hippos, rhinocerous hornbills, chimpanzees and the Montserrat oriole.

Every small step you take can make a big difference, and if everyone acts together nature stands a chance.

In light of the massive amount of support we’ve already received, and look set to continue receiving, we hope the UK Government realises that it too must step up to help save the rainforests or risk being left behind.

One step you can take today is instead of indulging in your usually sweet treats, why not buy some rainforest friendly ones instead. Our Love Nature range of chocolate, biscuits and fudge is not only delicious, but none of the ingredients use have negative impacts on rainforests. It’s guilt free indulgence! (Well at least it is if you ignore the caloriea!)

For more ways to step up for nature visit www.rspb.org.uk/steppingup