Wildlife Trust reveals plan to revive biodiversity

The Wildlife Trust has launched a plan aimed at halting biodiversity declines in the region by the end of the decade

A conservation charity has unveiled a plan to reverse biodiversity loss over the next five years across three counties.

The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire aims to improve nature reserves, run education programmes and help landowners create wildlife-friendly habitats.

The organisation hopes to finance these efforts by raising £1.5m over the next five years, which will also fund scientific research to monitor species declines.

Brian Eversham, the chief executive of the Wildlife Trust for the regions, said: "The nature of [Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, and Cambridgeshire] is worth fighting for, and that's the ambition we have laid out in this plan."

The Nene Valley in Northamptonshire is a Special Protection Area and provides a habitat for thousands of animals

Our Wilder Future: A Plan for Nature Recovery in Beds, Cambs and Northants – 2030 includes proposals to restore habitats in the Great Fen, a 3,700 hectare peat landscape between Huntingdon and Peterborough, and teach school pupils about Luton's chalkland habitats.

Mr Eversham added: "The world has changed a lot since the start of the decade and funding the protection of nature has got a lot harder.

"We could scale back our ambitions to reflect this new reality – but nature urgently needs our help so we have chosen instead to do more for nature and reach further into communities for support."

According to the Wildlife Trust, there has been a 19% decline in wildlife in the UK since 1970 and nearly one in six species is threatened with extinction from Great Britain.

In its plan, the Wildlife Trust has also committed to investing in more community outreach work, running education events on nature reserves and encouraging community groups to take action to protect nature.