Why we need nature to thrive
Nature brings us food, shelter, water and warmth.
We want to restore and preserve nature everywhere – including our cities and towns.
Nature needs our support. From saving bees to defending our nature laws, there are many ways you can get involved with our nature campaigning.
Why bees are our business
Bees pollinate much of the food that makes our diets healthy and tasty – from the apple in our lunchbox, to the tomatoes on our pizza.
But did you know Britain’s bees are in trouble? Right now, they need us almost as much as we need them.
We have already led the successful campaign to get national bee action plans in all parts of the UK.
Find out how our campaign is helping save bees — and how you can be part of it. From creating healthy habitats to our famous citizen science project the Great British Bee Count, you can befriend the bees.
Meet the people bringing nature back
"We cannot live without our wild spaces" says Sally Boys. She's one of a growing number of people who take action in their daily lives to protect nature.
It might surprise you to know how many such ‘Nature’s Keepers’ there are. Often they're showing up the failures of government, business and regulators.
As the UK leaves the European Union, we’re working to ensure nature doesn't lose out.
Existing EU nature laws protect the UK’s top wildlife havens and species.
But the UK itself has been caught trying to weaken those very nature laws. So we can't take for granted that nature will be better off when the UK leaves the EU.
More than half a million people supported our campaign that prevented the laws that protect our nature from being weakened. Now, those laws must be transferred fully into British law. And they must be properly implemented — because the UK is still allowing harmful construction, mining and farming to override nature.
We’re working with conservation groups to ensure the UK not only adopts existing nature laws but strengthens and enacts the laws.
Healthy nature will help curb climate change
A healthy natural environment is one of our best allies in the fight against climate change – if we keep it in good condition.
Nature is perhaps our best defence against flooding, storm surges, famine and more. It’s better than ever-higher concrete flood walls or artificial reefs: natural reed beds, coral and mangroves can hold back tides and support more wildlife.
True, climate change is already affecting nature - but it's not inevitable. We must not allow runaway climate change to, for example, warm our oceans and turn them so acidic that plankton, corals and fish can no longer survive.
It is not beyond the wit of humankind to avoid the double trouble of climate change and nature’s decline.
Health benefits of nature
Nature is good for us – we get clean air, water and food from a healthy natural environment. And many medicines are sourced from the diverse plant kingdom.
We also feel better when we get outside to see, hear, smell and experience nature — from walks in local parks to simply seeing the colours change with the seasons.
More and more studies are showing how daily contact with nature brings us multiple benefits. We're more likely to be physically active if we have access to good green spaces - and this means savings to the National Health Service.
Nature also helps children’s healthy mental and physical development, education and learning. One study found that children exposed to nature had better concentration and self-discipline; better reasoning and observational skills; did better in reading, writing, maths, science and social studies; and were better at working in teams.