Just listened to the addresses given by our speakers at the launch of State of Nature – my selection for line of the evening goes to Plantlife’s chief executive Victoria Chester who asked biodiversity Minister, Richard Benyon the question in the headline. In context, this was a vivid challenge to this Government (and all governments) to step up and form genuine partnerships that will tackle the challenge of our disappearing nature together.
The RSPB’s Mike Clarke made a point of paying tribute to the legions of naturalists, birders and recorders - all volunteers – who have added immeasurably to the knowledge that enabled the publication of State of Nature.
Sir David Attenborough (above) underlined the challenge ahead but reminded us of the successes we have achieved from improving water and air quality to the restoration of red kites and large blue butterflies. And from him the most significant sound bite of the evening; brandishing a copy of State of Nature at the audience re intoned ‘we now know’ – the clear implication of now we must act.
David Gibbons – the RSPB’s chief scientist illustrated the report’s content with some examples – the most memorable being the Atlantic quahog (a giant marine mollusc), an individual alive on a sandbank today could have been swimming in the plankton at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth ... the first!
Richard Benyon (above), DEFRA’s biodiversity Minister, welcomed the report and stressed the measures the coalition Government had put in place from Nature Improvement Areas to Local Nature Partnerships. His offer of partnership is on the table and that brings us back to Victoria Chester’s (below) challenge – we are all in this together and nature will still be in trouble unless we work together.