Last night I sat down and read the draft manifesto that Chris Packham has published to coincide with Saturday's Walk for Wildlife.
It is a remarkable and provocative read.
Chris has pulled together a team of independent thinkers to outline their proposals for transforming UK's nature and the way our society interacts with the natural world.
The authors have included 200 ideas designed to prod, poke and shove politicians, policy makers and the conservation community.
Some really stand out, such as Robert Macfarlane's proposal to amend the Education Act to make nature central to the school curriculum or Carol Day's ideas about what should be included in the Prime Minister's promised Environment Bill or Dave Goulson's package of measures to reduce the use of pesticides or Mya-Rose Craig's proposals for getting greater diversity in conservation which I am convinced would lead to better decision-making.
I have no doubt that if many of these recommendations were implemented then we would be able to restore what we have lost (or as Chris says destroyed) over the past 50 years.
Many of the ideas were either new or felt fresh perhaps because of the context in which they are presented.
I didn't agree with everything - for example the comment from an anonymous farmer that all Countryside Stewardship schemes have failed - but that's not the point.
We need ideas, we need challenge and our collective job now is to respond. That, of course, includes big institutions/charities like the RSPB which must continue to find new ways to reflect the expectations of our members so that, together, we have greater impact for nature.
So, read the manifesto, personalise it and take action.
But, first, make sure you walk on Saturday.
See you there.
Martin, be careful on Saturday - some of those who have contributed to the manifesto are dismayed how it's being portrayed, wielded, cherrypicked by others. As a member of the RSPB, I note it is not an animal welfare but a wildlife conservation organisation www.rspb.org.uk/.../cats-and-garden-birds and I've sought out the nuance in how to work together in guest blogs for you ww2.rspb.org.uk/.../bird-crime-a-shooters-view-draft-27-1-guest-blog-for-martin-harper.aspx
For all the work I and others are doing in the background to locate common ground between those with different values but the same love for wildlife, I fear the walk/manifesto is stirring 'public opinion' passions that are admirable but seriously threaten to derail ongoing 'public benefit' dialogue on better joint action for wildlife conservation between all conservationists whether as farmers, ecologists, wardens, scientists, gamekeepers, dog walkers, foresters, cat lovers.
Go well. Yours etc, Rob
www.robyorke.co.uk