New Plan launched to address local Wildlife decline: Can you become wilder?

Democracy and Local Affairs, Environment, Homepage

A new Biodiversity Action Plan has been launched today to urge action for wildlife across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.  Published by the Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Natural Environment Partnership (the “NEP”), the Plan, “Forward to 2030”, sets out important ambitions and targets for nature in our area to 2030.

Nature and wildlife are vital to life, our economies and communities.  As well as being important homes for wildlife, we all rely on nature for food, clean air and water, to help prevent flooding, for natural resources and for physical and mental health and wellbeing.

But whilst Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes may appear green and pleasant, globally we are in the middle of a mass extinction event and there are multiple threats to nature at all scales.  As the recent COP 26 meeting highlighted, our nature is under severe pressure from climate change, yet can also help provide natural solutions to combating and adapting to it.  Other pressures on our local nature include population growth and development, changes in land use and unsustainable land management, the overuse of resources, generation of waste, pollution and pests and diseases.

The NEP’s new Biodiversity Action Plan aims to reverse biodiversity decline by 2030 and to create more, bigger, better and more joined-up habitats across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.  The BAP sets a series of objectives to achieve this aim, including to increase the overall area of land positively managed for wildlife and priority habitats, improve existing habitats, connect quality habitats across the landscape, improve people’s connectedness with nature and ensure biodiversity is a key factor in the design of the urban environment and new developments.

Chris M Williams, the NEP’s Chair, said

“With COP26 just behind us, the important work to deliver on promises to help reduce and adapt to climate change continues.  This new and improved Biodiversity Action Plan sets out clear targets and nature-based actions we can all take to ensure our biodiversity continues to thrive despite the pressures it faces.

We all have a role to play in recognising the importance of the nature around us, and in doing our bit to protect and conserve it, to create and improve wilder areas, connect them up and take care of them into the long term to make sure nature continues to provide us all with many the benefits that we rely on.

As a partnership, we encourage all sectors and everyone in the Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes area in particular, to take action, however small, to support our biodiversity goals.  There are lots of ideas on our website of how you can help and get involved and we’d love to hear about what you choose to do.”

The NEP is setting up a new expert working group to focus on nature recovery and encourage and support various sectors across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes to help deliver the new Plan.

The NEP is also urging individuals and community groups to help by focussing on making their own patch wilder – and has three resources already available to help.  What can you do in your patch?

  • Bucks Buzzing – is full of ideas of what you can do to help make your patch more wildlife-friendly for pollinators, whether that’s growing wildflowers, improving a hedgerow, digging a pond or making a bug hotel. Download the Bucks Buzzing Poster, check out the Resources section, or find inspiration from our Case Studies. You can also submit the details of your own project, to let us know how you are getting on and to inspire others. Or join us on social media @BucksBuzzing
  • Create wilder spaces – where you have permission, this guidance takes you through what can be done in your area to safely and easily make road verges and local green spaces wilder.
  • Conservation volunteering – if you’d like to “give something back”, meet friends and learn new skills, as a one-off or regularly, why not do some conservation volunteering? Check out the opportunities available in our conservation directory.