Quite often over the past six months I’ve asked you to Step Up for Nature. It may have passed you by (I hope not) but I know many of you have taken steps to help save the special places that are a vital part of our natural world.
This blog helped launch Stepping Up for Nature back in March ... and I had the chance to help publicise the event on BBC Radio Four’s Today programme. And if you fancy a news update - here's something we put together to celebrate our 1 millionth step.
Well, I’m thrilled to be able to tell you that since then, 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! And it’s only a start.
To refresh your memories, there are countless ways you can step up for nature. In the past six months, you might have bought something from one of our shops, fed garden birds, e-mailed government in response to their flawed proposals to change England’s planning system, donated money to save northern rockhopper penguins affected by an oil spill in Tristan da Cunha, 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.
Some of you will have been stepping up without even knowing it!
Well, I 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 their habitats. With your help we’ve been able to help turn around the fortunes of wildlife like bitterns, corncrakes, stone curlews and great yellow bumblebees.
Every small step we each take as individuals can make a big difference, if everyone acts together nature stands a chance.
The massive amount of support we’ve already received, and look set to continue receiving, will send a clear message to the Government across the UK – they, too, have an essential role to play and we all have an important role in keeping politicians true to their commitments.
And if you fancy taking a step right now, you can by signing the pledge calling on our ministers to help safeguard our seabirds at sea now – here’s how. Protecting the best bits of our marine environment should seem like a basic first step given the rich natural environment that is hidden beneath our seas – but inaction has followed inaction over three decades, effective protection of our marine environment is a real test of commitment for all of our Governments across the UK, a real test of their ability to step up for nature.
Follow me on twitter.