What do the hazel dormouse, skylark, lady’s slipper orchid and European eel all have in common? Sadly, they’re all facing a rather uncertain future here in the UK, according to a 2023 State of Nature Report.
The State of Nature Report is the collective and comprehensive work of some 60 research and conservation organisations that are counting birds, insects and fish around our islands and discovering that there are significantly fewer of them than there used to be.
In fact, one in six species are now at risk of extinction in Great Britain. Since 1970, the collated data from monitoring schemes and biological recording centres reveals that more than half of our flowering plants (54%), and bryophytes (59%) – mosses and their relatives – have now been lost from areas where they used to thrive. A third of amphibians and reptiles are now at risk, as are 28% of fungi and lichen species. Three-quarters of the UK’s peatlands are also damaged or degraded, releasing the equivalent of five percent of UK greenhouse gas emissions each year.
We’re not sugar-coating it, people. The UK is now one of the most nature-depleted countries on earth and if you take the trouble to read all 108 pages of this report, you’ll probably end up feeling the need for a hug and a little pep talk.
Fortunately, we’ve got Steve Alton, our Biodiversity & Nature Sanctuary Manager, keeping us positively charged. Take it away, Steve: “While this report makes for uncomfortable reading, it’s an essential tool that we can use to fix the wrongs we’ve inflicted on our natural ecosystems in living memory. Now, we just need to deliver. Protecting and restoring healthy, functioning natural systems is essential, not only for nature’s sake, but for humanity as well.”
Reasons to be cheerful
Amid what feels like a constant stream of bad news, there are signs of hope. In the Lyme Bay marine protected area, for example, the State of Nature Report shows how the number of species has increased markedly since trawling was banned in 2008.
Further, the RSPB’s Hope Farm has also demonstrated that food production can function alongside measures to benefit wildlife, as breeding bird populations increased by 177% over a 12-year period.
Even our own wildlife conservation projects are yielding positive results. Earlier this year, Steve and his team established biodiversity baselines at all of GRIDSERVE’s hybrid solar and battery farms. We now know that 14% of amber-list species and nearly a quarter (23%) of red-list bird species have been seen on our sites.
All of which helps to demonstrate how giving priority to clean energy and the natural environment can allow our ecosystems to recover.
At GRIDSERVE, we’re now wanting to learn the names of these newly-spotted birds and feeling more than a little inspired by the words of Robin Wall Kimmerer: “It is a sign of respect to call a being by its name, and a sign of disrespect to ignore it. Words and names are the ways we humans build relationships, not only with each other, but also with plants.”
Setting farmers up for future success
The evidence gathered from the last 50 years is unequivocal in showing how both intensive farming and the continuing effects of climate change are the two biggest drivers of nature loss.
This statement isn’t intended to give farmers a kicking. It’s easy for us in our suburban homes and cosy desk jobs to romanticise the idea of rewilding vast swathes of land, without ever thinking of the sheer graft our farmers go through on a daily basis to get food to our tables.
We know removing hedgerows has helped farmers create bigger fields to support bigger machines and encourage bigger yields, but we’ve since discovered how hedgerows play a vital part in our ecosystem. They reduce soil erosion, store carbon and provide shelter in heat and cold for animals. We need them back.
According to this year’s report, only a fifth of farmland is currently in agri-environment schemes while just 44% of woodland is certified as sustainably managed. By acreage, farmers have the land, so we need their support in finding more sustainable, nature-friendly ways to farm.
