‘Help us create wildlife haven for displaced victims of destruction’
CHRIS Packham has urged generous Daily Express readers to help create a haven for floundering species.
The TV naturalist has detailed told how 91-acre Horse Common within the New Forest could become a refuge for “displaced victims of destruction”.
The Express, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and eco-entrepreneur Dale Vince have raised just more than half of the £90,000 that is needed to secure the land for restoration.
Chris, 61, said yesterday: “You, the generous readers of the Express, have helped us get to about half of what we need – and thank you so much for that.
“If we are to secure this space for generations of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects to come then we must find the remainder of the money. It’s currently a tumultuous time and finding extra cash to finance something like that is difficult. But, like the countries in the global north at COP27 know, we must find the money and make the necessary difficult choices ahead to make this planet, and the way we live on it, a sustainable one.”
Chris told how saving spaces such as Horse Common means creating “a safe habitat for those floundering in the environment they find themselves in”.
Woodlands make up around 14 per cent of the land area of the UK, at some 3.2 million hectares (nearly eight million acres).
The Daily Express has called on governments and citizens to help make space for nature through our Green Britain Needs You campaign. Chris continued: “Horse Common is a small area in comparison to the Earth we live on.
“But little by little, if we save these spaces we can make a safe habitat for those floundering in the environment they find themselves in.
“We are all facing the same storm, we are all on this one Earth and we must do everything in our power to save it.”
Autumnwatch presenter Chris added: “We don’t have time to just talk about fixing things anymore, we are in implementation time – we need to take action.
“We are one species on the one planet we have with one massive problem and one last chance to sort it out.”
●●To support the cause, send cheques made payable to “RSPB” to Daily Express Horse Common Appeal, RSPB, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL or donate online via rspb.org.uk/horsecommonappeal