A year-long review of wildlife sites in England has concluded that areas set aside for protecting native species are too small and too isolated to prevent further species from dying out.
The ‘Space for Nature’ report, carried out for the Government by an independent team of ecologists, called for a ‘step-change’ in our approach to nature conservation. It said outside small wildlife reserves and areas protected by legislation such as National Parks, vulnerable habitats have been ‘largely lost’, while natural wildlife corridors such as hedgerows, ponds and rivers have also disappeared or are in poor condition.
Among the report’s 24 recommendations are the creation of ‘Ecological Restoration Zones’, linking wildlife sites together in large extended environmental networks. It also calls for better ecological provision in cities, including the wildlife-friendly management of green spaces.
The Government is considering the report’s findings and will respond in its Natural Environment White Paper, due to be published in spring.
