After a week of what has felt like a sustained assault on the environment and humanity, it was heart-warming to witness hundreds of people representing so many UK NGOs unite for nature outside DEFRA’s offices in London yesterday.

Nature doesn’t have a voice, but all day long people spoke up for the birds, the badgers, the bugs, the butterflies, the woodlands and meadows, the bats, the fungi, for the rivers and the oceans, for swallows, for newts, for our right to access nature and for the future of our children.

The air was filled with passion, there were lots of tears and plenty of laughter. But as Chris Packham, who had brought us all together, reminded us, “Caring is not enough. Now is the time to act.”

The State of Nature report published the previous day paints a bleak picture for nature, but we were reminded again and again that we must use it as a call to action.

Debbie Tann, CEO of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, reminded us that we can and must turn things around. Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link, called for politicians to put nature at the heart of the next election campaign.

The next general election must be a nature election. Chris Packham asked us to keep up the pressure on our principle political parties. They must include restorative policies on farming, fishing and forestry in their manifestos. Ask your MPs and candidates what they are doing.

During the brief interludes between speeches those attending were encouraged to reach out to representatives of other organisations around them. Connect, build alliances, prepare to mobilise, unite. As Chris pointed out in his closing speech. The combined membership of the organisations represented at the event is 8 million. That is power.

What you can do to help nature

• Ask all political leaders to make 5 General Election pledges to save nature

• Become one of our Wildlife Ambassadors and we'll help you campaign for nature

• Read The Wildlife Trusts' five priorities for the next government

• Become a member of BBOWT and join more than 55,000 others helping to create more nature everywhere, for everyone