Today is a big day.
I shall be in London for the Conference for Nature which we have organised, with a range of organisations including the Wildlife Trusts, Butterfly Conservation and Buglife.
Our State of Nature report published in May 2013 showed that 60% of species (for which we have adequate data) have declined in my lifetime.
Image from Eleanor Bentnall (in part a celebration of yesterday's announcement about Thames Estuary Airport being kicked in to touch)
At the time, we challenged all sectors of society to do more for nature. We wanted...
...politicians that have repeatedly committed to recovering threatened wildlife populations to think about the natural world when they make big decisions about where to cut and where to invest
...developers to respect and protect the special places that people love
...landowners to manage their land with wildlife in mind
...businesses to find ways to make a profit without trashing the environment
...all of us to do our bit by taking action for wildlife in our gardens and in our communities.
After an opening address from Sir David Attenborough, we'll hear from representatives from business and civil society about the game-changing interventions they are making to help protect and conserve wildlife. We'll explore how politicians can make it easier for more people to do the right thing. And, we'll hear from each of the parties (including the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg) about their plans to drive nature's recovery.
I hope to be surprised, challenged and inspired.
Tomorrow, I'll let you know what happened.
I also hope you'll be surprised, inspired and challenged - my fingers are tightly crossed for you and for all of the birds and wildlife we care so much about.