As a follower of this blog and someone who is passionate about the natural world, have you ever had that feeling that its always you that people turn to, to ask what’s happening to hedgehogs? Or swifts? Or why the river is too polluted. Or if they should buy an electric car, but crikey why do they cost so much?

If such moments feel a bit familiar, then probably so does the feeling that comes while you’re responding. At best it’s the feeling that comes with taking the chat to somewhere serious and sombre. It may be the feeling that sharing your interest in nature, wildlife, the environment always comes with a large side serving of doom and gloom. It often comes with the sense of ‘am I the only one who thinks this way?’ or cares enough about such things to take them seriously. It’s frequently a lonely feeling.

On Saturday I had the wonderful experience of being surrounded by tens of thousands of people – 60,000, or maybe 80,000 to 100,000 take your pick from the various media reports – all who had so much in common that they gathered together in London. A deep love for nature (however they choose to define it), an alarm for how we treat nature in the UK (whoever they choose to blame) and a determination that we should do much, much better. Now. Before it’s too late.

It was a mass protest, and at times it was loud and noisy. But for several hours on Saturday we all spoke for nature and gave nature a voice of many different tones … go here (1 minute in) to hear the Warwickshire frog (the fantastic Helen from our Youth Committee) speak! Some of what was said was angry, but what else could it be when we are faced with an ecological catastrophe in which 1 in 6 of UK species are threatened with extinction? A lot of it spoke love for the multitude of creatures which have been taken for granted and which would be sorely missed if they were to go. All of it was united. 

And in that unity for common sense and a more nurturing approach to nature (this is the stuff that keeps us alive!!) it was wonderful to be a tiny part of the evidence that the occasional loneliness of conversations about hedgehogs (etc) doesn’t reflect reality. As we crammed into the capital’s crowded transport systems, pressing up against fans of Taylor Swift and the Foo Fighters, Wales and South African rugby, and top hatted followers of racing at Ascot our banners and costumes provoked the same questions. But those were questions born of curiosity, care and companionship.

Nearly everyone cares about nature (ever met anyone who says they hate it?). Not nearly enough of us are doing enough about it … so let’s change that.

Restore Nature Now!