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.
I can't be there on Saturday, but the manifesto, if it was part of Saturday, makes my contribution to the costs more than worthwhile. It is a truly inspiring document, which may not please even everyone on the conservation sector, never mind the "fake news" conservation sector. I see little in it worth quibbling over. Rather than review every contribution, I see the document as a call for people who are interested in a section of it to propose new or amended legislation framed in such a way as to ensure that the 200 ideas could be turned into reality. I would suggest that this could be best achieved by a website hosting sections which could be monitored by a volunteer/s. As celebrity even extends to the conservation sector, a figurehead or ambassador for each section might be thought appropriate. I hope to see the RSPB play a major role in this, as you say, especially the call to politicians for action.