York says “Restore Nature Now!” Local people and groups echo Chris Packham’s, scientists’ and Nature NGOs’ calls to action

On Thursday morning local people and  dozens of local charities and advocacy groups turned out in support of Nature, after the publication of a devastating report on its decline in the UK. Stories and speeches were shared, and connections and collaborations were formed.

Dr Amy-Jane Beer, a Yorkshire-based biologist, naturalist, access campaigner, and author of The Flow: rivers, water, and wildness, (which won the this year’s Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing!) was one of the speakers at the rally in York.  Refelecting on the day she said:

 ‘It was so heartening to see varied interests coalescing at the Restore Nature Now rally outside Defra in York, and especially, given that the memberships of wildlife NGOs in the UK dwarf those of all political parties, to see such a strong contingent from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Bravo everyone.’

Claire Blindell of the Yorkshire Rewilding Network said:

‘Representing Yorkshire Rewilding Network and making my first, ever speech at a rally was exciting! Our network is all about connecting people with a message of hope through rewilding, and to see so many coming together at the Restore Nature Now event was inspiring’

Adam Myers, who also spoke at to the crowds said:

‘The protest outside Defra on Thursday was heart-warming, seeing a wide range of organisations and protestors coming together to speak up for Nature.

Diversity is crucial in an ecosystem, and I suspect it will be for effective pressure on this government. Here was a mix of seasoned protestors and people coming on their first ever protest, some speaking for the first time. There were people from all over North Yorkshire. There were jokey signs and deeply serious ones. People talked from their heart, read poetry, chanted, sang songs. All of it part of a rich ecosystem of opposition to the abandonment of nature, all of it part of call for change.

It felt like an important coming together, where the shared goal was so clearly more important than any differences.

It felt like a beginning.’

You can read more about the action in York (and other cities) in this Yorkshire Bylines piece, and find out more about the Restore Nature Now campaign (led by Chris Packham) here.