Please say it's not just me and that you too have not yet got into the habit of writing 2009? Maybe it's another one of those age things, or perhaps it's denial that time's ticking away?

A singing dunnock - not life size but very cuteTime is a tricky old beast, more cunning than the urban foxes at the end of my garden, faster than the peregrines that feed on London's pigeons and more elusive than the dunnock that lurks in the shadows under my shrubs. Time for these creatures is running out.

We're all in a tizzy over the credit crunch, but just over the horizon and approaching fast is a real crisis. It's not a crunch, it's a deafening roar from the mangling of so much we take for granted. In the wake of unabated climate change we will suffer a shortage of energy, water and food. Add to this the increased likelihood of more severe weather bringing flooding and drought and you'll be rolling on the floor with hysteria.

Some of the world's leading scientists have worked out that we have until 2015 (that's just six years away) to slash our carbon emmissions. The UK Government is in danger of missing the tough targets it set itself and yet appears set to push on with projects that will increase emissions, such as the coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth.

The UK's silent majority - our wildlife - need you to speak up now and send a clear message to Ed Milliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, to stop proposals for coal fired power stations and make renewable energy the number one choice to meet our energy needs. So, join the choir of voices singing out for wildlife by adding your name to our petition.

If you want to help in a more practical way, get ready for our Big Garden Birdwatch on 24 and 25 January. Spare us an hour recording the birds in your garden and then send the results, whatever they're like, to us. This gives a snapshot of the changing numbers and types of birds across the UK and a hint of the health of our wildlife.

This coming weekend you can come and find out more about the Birdwatch by joining our team at Hampstead Heath near Bird Sanctuary pond. You may get to see the albino robin and on Saturday you'll be able to meet 19 year old wildlife writer, Natalie Lawrence. She'll be signing copies of her book, Feathers and Eggshells, about the Heath's wildlife.