WildNet - Amy Lewis
General Election: Vote for Nature
Help us make the case for nature
There is going to be a General Election in 2024 and it might be the most important of our lives. We need to make sure nature restoration is a priority for politicians, because the next government will either be responsible for a turnaround for nature and climate, or for failure leading to catastrophic collapse.
We’ve been setting up meetings with sitting MPs and prospective Parliamentary candidates, but we need YOUR help to make the case for nature and the environment.
Can you spare just 2 minutes to fill out our Vote for Nature survey? We want you to tell us how important nature is to you, and what the biggest environmental concerns are in your local area.
We’ll share the results of our survey when we meet with your future elected representatives – the results will help us to show them that people in Staffordshire want more action to help nature recover NOW.
To thank you for your time, when you complete the survey we’ll also enter you into a free prize draw to win a £25 Gift Voucher of your choice. Read the survey Terms and Conditions.
On this page you’ll also find lots of other ways you can ask your MP to prioritise nature’s recovery.
Will you get crafty for nature?
Share your love for nature with local candidates through craftivism. Make some bunting that shows future MPs that you will be voting for nature and displaying it in your local community before sending it to us to join our bunting chain for Big Wild Weekend in June!
Please help us to help nature by encouraging your friends, family and community to get involved and make some Vote for Nature bunting. Download our FREE toolkit (see below) complete with instructions and a bunting template.
Vote for Nature bunting toolkit
What we’re doing
We’ve set out three key priorities, three things which government must to give nature a fighting chance. In the lead up to the election we’ll meet with sitting MPs and Prospective Parliamentary Candidates to talk to them about these priorities, and what needs to be done in their constituency to bring nature back and allow local people to connect with the natural world.
The three key things we need government to do
Credit: Paul Harris/2020VISION
1. Bring back Staffordshire’s lost wildlife
To halt and reverse the collapse of our natural world, we need the government to put nature into recovery by protecting and restoring at least 30% of land and water for nature by 2030.
How can government achieve this?
- By increasing the budget for nature-friendly farming, so farms can be both productive and bursting with wildlife;
- preventing further habitat loss by ensuring new development both protects and enhances nature;
- funding the restoration and creation of more, bigger and better natural habitats, to help wildlife recover and protect communities from the impacts of climate change.
David Parkyn
2. Clean up and restore our county’s rivers
Toxic levels of sewage and pollution, combined with decades of damage to our wetland landscape, has left just one out of 41 rivers in the Trent Valley river catchment rated in good ecological condition. If we want healthy and wild once again, we need to see urgent action.
How can government achieve this?
- By cutting nutrient pollution from farming, sewage and development in half by 2030, with proper funding for enforcement agencies to effectively monitor our watercourses and enforce penalties on polluters;
- supporting the reintroduction of beavers living in wild in Staffordshire to restore our rivers and wetlands;
- investing in creating and repairing wild habitats to provide a natural solution to flooding, which will protect people’s homes and businesses, and improve water quality.
Helena Dolby for Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust
3. Provide nature for everyone
Spending time in nature boosts physical and mental health – but not everyone has a nature-rich greenspace within walking distance of their home. We must ensure that everyone has fair and equal access to restorative natural places in their neighbourhood.
How can government achieve this?
- by supporting the creation of more good quality greenspace in neighbourhoods, and provide routes for people to access existing wild spaces, particularly for the communities that have the least provision today;
- funding and integrating green prescribing into community-based health services, and promote its value;
- ensuring all children enjoy regular outdoor learning opportunities at school.