Water vole by Terry Whittaker/2020Vision
Species recovery
Bring back the UK's lost wildlife
To bring back our lost wildlife and put it on a path to recovery, we’re calling on the new government to make more space for nature.
The UK is home to species found nowhere else on Earth but immense pressure from decades of pollution and habitat loss has driven wildlife into catastrophic decline. Shockingly, 1 in 6 species in the UK is now at risk of extinction.
Nature is declining at a speed never previously seen and shows no sign of slowing. It is no longer enough to just protect the wildlife that remains – we need the next UK government to align across departments to put nature into recovery, on land and at sea, by the end of the next parliament.
Nature is vital to us all – for the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the space to help us feel secure, happy, and healthy. In recent years, we have also seen increasing numbers of people actively looking for ways to access nature close to where they live. Without urgent action to bring wildlife back from the brink, communities across the UK risk bearing an unimaginable cost.
What are we doing?
The population of water voles in the UK has declined by 90% since the 1970s, but BBOWT's Water Vole Recovery Project has helped to increase the local range of water voles by more than 50% over the past 15 years.
Water vole by Margaret Holland
Water Vole Recovery Project
BBOWT has been monitoring water voles, identifying habitat enhancement opportunities and influencing local landowners to manage sites sympathetically as part of the UK's longest-running local project dedicated to water vole conservation.
What you can do
Click here for lots of advice about meeting your new MP including step-by-step guides, blogs, videos and information on campaigning.
If you would like more help or advice, please email publicaffairs@bbowt.org.uk
