The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside are launching their biggest ever fundraising appeal, ‘Step up for Wildlife’, to raise £300,000 to help combat the biodiversity crisis locally and to lead a call for change that will be repeated across all Wildlife Trusts across the United Kingdom.
In the UK, one in six of our precious plants and creatures are at risk of extinction. Over the past few decades years there has been a 54 per cent decline in plant species, while an astonishing 93 per cent of woodlands need urgent care. These are the plants and woodlands that provide homes and food for wildlife. Pollinators numbers have plummeted by 18 per cent – a third of the food you eat depends on pollination. Is this bringing the biodiversity crisis to your home, to your kitchen?
Head of Campaigns at The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside, Alan Wright said: “The more we ignore wildlife the more the palette of colours will dull, the orchestra of noises and the bouquet of glorious smells will dim. It’s heartbreaking to think that future generations might not have all the wonderful natural experiences that we have been so lucky to have.
“Look at birds for example, house sparrows and starlings have seen huge population decreases over the past 50 years. It is difficult to believe when you see the sparrows flocking in your garden and giant murmurations of starlings, but those flocks used to be a lot bigger than they are today.
“We are shouting loudly for wildlife in the places that drive change, and we are working at all levels from communities to landscapes making a difference to nature’s recovery every day. The only barrier in our way is a lack of funds to do more.
“Nature and wildlife are in crisis, and we need to ramp up our work. The time for action is NOW. We cannot let our iconic wildlife disappear on our watch.”
Donations to the ‘Step up for Wildlife’ appeal will allow The Wildlife Trust to continue its groundbreaking work across four action areas: bringing back lost wildlife, creating Nature Recovery Networks, putting nature at the heart of our communities, and tackling the climate emergency.
Trust supporters have already enabled them to bring the Manchester argus butterfly back to Manchester after 150 years, return sand lizards to the Fylde Sand Dunes, and carnivorous sundew plants back to our peatlands. Red squirrels are increasing their territory in Formby, habitats for rare fritillary butterflies are being created in North Lancashire, and we have been instrumental in the creation of the first ever National Nature Reserve in The Flashes of Wigan and Leigh. But there is so much more to do.
‘Step up for Wildlife’ is also about people. The Wildlife Trust is working towards inspiring one in four people in the UK to take cation for nature – putting pressure on politicians, volunteering in your local community and supporting our appeal.
Alan added: “The appeal is for everyone. It is about joining the Wildlife Trust on a journey to start reversing the biodiversity crisis threatening our planet. It’s about giving us the tools to persuade everyone to ‘Step Up for Wildlife’.
“Complacency will have unthinkable consequences; we need to take action now and prove that we are serious. We want everybody to fall in love with the wildlife that we have grown up with. It is part of our lives and should be part of our children’s lives too.”
Wildlife benefits every one of the 58 million people living in Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside. For a small donation over the coming year, they could protect the future of their favourite robins, sparrows, hedgehogs, thrushes and brown hares and other wildlife that gives us all so much joy.
It would be great to see groups and workplaces coming together to support the appeal by holding Step Up for Nature events. Nurseries, schools and colleges could give something back for the uplifting moments their teachers and students get in nature. And businesses can show their green credentials by raising money for our appeal.
• Donating is easy: simply head to www.lancswt.org.uk, where you can also join the Trust’s movement for nature by becoming a member of The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside