State of nature 2016

The first State of Nature report that I helped to launch in 2013 revealed the severe loss of nature that has occurred in the UK since the 1960s. Three years on, I am pleased to see that the partnership of organisations behind that important report has grown. Thanks to the dedication and expertise of many thousands of volunteers working closely with the professionals, we are now able to document even more about the changing state of nature across our land and in our seas. The news, however, is mixed. Escalating pressures, such as climate change and modern land management, mean that we continue to lose the precious wildlife that enriches our lives and is essential to the health and well-being of those who live in the UK, and also in its Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories. Our wonderful nature is in serious trouble and it needs our help as never before. But the State of Nature 2016 report gives us cause for hope too. The rallying call issued in 2013 has been met with a myriad of exciting and innovative conservation projects. Landscapes are being restored, special places defended, and struggling species are being saved and brought back. Such successes demonstrate that if conservationists, governments, businesses and individuals all pull together, we can provide a brighter future for nature and for people.