Saving nature is a marathon not a sprint

Guest post by our Chief Executive, Mike Clarke.

For me, the last few months have been hugely significant.

In May, we published the State of Nature report along with 24 other conservation organisations. This report brought home the reality that nature is in trouble – year by year there are fewer flowers, fewer insects and fewer birds. In fact, there are around 44 million less breeding birds since the late 1960s.

Wildlife faces common problems and needs common solutions - measures such as EU Common Agricultural Policy reform, a strong planning system, laws for environmental protection, and economic policies that properly reflect the true value of nature in the wealth of our nation. But, we are failing to see governments take the necessary action.

The global scale of the problem became all the more evident in June with the launch of the State of the World’s Birds. Birds are an integral part of the web of life, and are very visible indicators for biodiversity. The pressure human activity is now placing on species, habitats and sites means that 1 in 8 of all bird species are now considered globally threatened with extinction.

BirdLife International is the world’s largest partnership of civil society organisations for nature conservation, with over 13 million supporters, united in a shared global strategy.

Returning from the BirdLife World Congress in Canada, I came away with a powerful impression that the world is turning. The environmental movement is struggling to recognise the scale of change - and that we simply can’t just carry on as we are.

Over the next few decades, the pressures on nature are going to intensify, driven by short term economics and a longer term inability of human society to live within the means of our fragile planet. We need more support than we have been able to command so far. We need more people to care. We need their voice to be heard by governments and decision makers.

Sometimes, it can seem that the scale of the problem is impossibly large; Or that people have lost faith in politicians to deliver the solutions that nature needs.

The RSPB has a knack of capturing the spirit of the age and challenging the status quo. The combination of our sound science and a passionate movement of people is a potent force to fight for nature. We need to work together (State of Nature was just the start) and that’s where Giving Nature a Home comes in.

What we’re doing now and over the next few years is a small contribution, but organisations across the planet are watching. And what are we doing? We’ve believing in ourselves and trusting that we really can make a difference.

Saving nature is a marathon not a sprint, this is just the beginning, and growing public support for nature is the clearest and most powerful way to meet the biggest challenge our natural world has faced.The belief that a person can make a difference is at the heart of hope. By taking action, you can be part of a global movement of over 13 million people across more than 120 countries. If you’re already giving nature a home – thank you! Do visit our website if you want to find out more.

What do you consider are the biggest challenges nature conservation faces at the moment?

photo credits: Heath fritillary by Jackie Cooper (rspb-images.com), Dartford warbler by Ben Hall (rspb-images.com)