Bristol Post

Bringing nature back

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IN the modern times we live in, it’s easy to forget just how reliant we are on the natural world. But with ‘progressio­n’ comes further separation from our relationsh­ip with the natural world; and that can result in unintended consequenc­es.

Take, for example, the variety of year-round fruit and vegetables available in supermarke­ts, sourced from around the world. Whilst this can improve our diets and increase access to fresh food, it also adds to our disconnect with nature.

No longer is it evident when the ‘season’ is for certain produce, and the ‘story’ of how the food is produced is often lost as it arrives on our plate from a packet.

To us as consumers, it’s not apparent that one in four mouthfuls of food we eat relies on pollinatin­g insects to help it grow. Therefore, the threat of extinction that hovers over so many of our pollinatin­g insects, and the link between that and our own food supply, is missed. We exist in a paradox of wildlife at the brink of extinction, and a modern way of life that means we’ve never been more disconnect­ed with the relevance and value of the natural world. This often means that our actions, unintended or otherwise, contribute towards the further decline of species.

Some may think, ‘What does it matter if some little bug that I’ve never heard of or seen dies out?’

The answer is it matters greatly. Everything in the natural world (including us) is connected. Imagine our world as a game of Jenga. Each wooden block in the Jenga tower represents a different species on our planet, with the block on the top representi­ng us. If you start taking out the species below then you risk the whole stack crashing down, people included. Because we rely on all the others to hold us up.

The impact of climate change magnifies the pressures on threatened species and whilst naturebase­d solutions could help us mitigate the climate crisis, our decision making at a political level does not enable joined up thinking to tackle this and other crises.

So how do we reconnect people with the importance of the natural world, whilst also putting in place the measures needed to bring wildlife back? The Wildlife Trusts believe the answer lie with our vision for 30 by 30.

This vision for a wilder future has three pillars –

» 30 per cent of land and sea contributi­ng to nature’s recovery by 2030

» 1 in 4 people taking action for wildlife by 2030

» Nature-based solutions at the heart of post Covid-19 recovery, climate change adaptation and future decision making.

Evidence suggests that across a range of different species, where there is less than 30 per cent cover in a landscape, habitat patches become small and isolated, and species richness, abundance and survival rates decline. At more than 30 per cent, habitat patches will generally be larger and the distance between patches will typically be less, so they are better connected.

This means that if local extinction­s do occur, other population­s of the same species can move into the area easily, or indeed prevent the local extinction in the first place.

We are the first generation to recognise the impact we are having on the natural world, and perhaps the last that can save it before it’s too late. We can all play our part in nature’s recovery, but must act now.

Making space for nature helps to create healthy soils for growing more food, clean air to breathe, clean water and green space for exercise, not to mention flood management and carbon capture, mitigating the impact of climate change. Find out more about how you can play your part at avonwildli­fetrust.org.uk/campaign/30-30

 ??  ?? A wide range of insects pollinate our plants, from beetles to hoverflies. Pic: Vaughn Matthews
A wide range of insects pollinate our plants, from beetles to hoverflies. Pic: Vaughn Matthews

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