Local People Speak out for Wildlife
Back to all articlesNatural Kendal are speaking out for local wildlife and working to bring nature back to recovery.
We are backing local communities as they defend their nature corridors and wild belts, that enable nature to thrive in our towns. We are backing farmers who are nature friendly and support the regeneration of wildlife in our countryside, as well as produce great food.
The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth. The UK Government in their election manifesto showed signs they were willing to turn it around. They recognised that the nature and climate emergency is the greatest long-term challenge that we face and stated a commitment to meeting the targets in the 2021 Environment Act.
With one in six species threatened with national extinction, nature needed the new Government to act fast. And there’s evidence to show that people want this, too. Recent research from Wildlife and Countryside Link shows that 71% of the public support increased planning protections for spaces such as national parks, fields, lakes and streams.
Yet, today’s reality seems very different to the future laid out in pre-election promises. Much of the Government’s recent rhetoric has been anti-nature, with “newts and bats” blamed for stalled developments. The proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill is potentially so harmful to wildlife and the environment that, together with other experts and conservation charities such as the RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts, Natural Kendal is calling for section 3 to be substantially reworked.
Farmers are key allies in tackling climate change and the nature crisis, caring for and restoring the countryside while producing high-quality food for our tables. But their ability to do this is threatened by the Government’s botched transition away from the Basic Payment Scheme. We support the move to public money for public goods, but many farmers are seeing their incomes threatened as old payments are cut and new payments are not fully rolled out or properly funded. Local farmers committed to nature recovery need our support.
We know that our future depends on nature. Any decisions that will impact negatively on wildlife are short-sighted and unjustified. That’s why Natural Kendal are taking our politicians to task, challenging them to put nature and all of our futures first.
Natural Kendal are asking local councils to back this call.
We hope we will not be let down by Rachel Reeves’ Comprehensive Spending Review. Whatever she does Natural Kendal will be joining thousands of people lobbying the Government to support nature recovery in the Act Now Change Forever Lobby of Parliament 9th July and organising the Kendal Nature Recovery Festival 19th -20th July. Natural Kendal is on Kendal Farmer’s Market 2nd and final Friday of every month, come and enjoy local products and find out how you can help local nature recovery.
Craig Russell Chair of Natural Kendal said,
‘We cannot take nature for granted, locally wildlife is in decline. For the benefit of all we need to address nature recovery in partnership with farmers, developers, town planners and local communities.’
Craig Russell 07725 817745
James Robinson Farmer of the Strickley Farm and Chair of Nature Friendly Farmers’ Network (England) said:
‘We need central government to step up and partner with the country’s farmers who are already doing great things for nature recovery. We need that support now to encourage nature friendly farming across all our farmland, to create wildlife habitats alongside sustainable food production and to reverse the decline in biodiversity’.
Giles Archibald Westmorland and Furness cabinet member for Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environmental Services added,
‘ I very much support this initiative of Natural Kendal. This is a great example of how communities can express their growing concern at the depletion of nature. We are in the midst of the two existential threats: of climate change and biodiversity loss. Politicians at all levels must be told of our concern. If we all act together we can make progress in tackling these crises. Well done Natural Kendal’.
Giles Archibald 07415 000765