The need to count, group and name things of beauty is inherently human. Counting and recording our incredible variety of wildlife began in earnest with the Victorians; who left a legacy both in some of the memorable common names of butterflies, moths and birds.

It is thanks to these records and the mantle taken up by county recorders and species specialists that we have the clearest-ever picture today into how our wildlife is faring. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s groundbreaking evidence report into the State of Yorkshire’s Nature, is a first for our whole region. We now know that Yorkshire is home to two-thirds of all British plants, animals and fungi - that’s between 40 and 50,000 species. This astonishing variety helps make Yorkshire special. And yet many of these species are disappearing from our county.

Sadly, I expect the Victorian naturalists never envisaged that the loss of species once so common to them would be such a cause of concern for environmentalists just over 100 years later.

Naturalists across Yorkshire every year voluntarily spend hours painstakingly observing and recording our species and are often the first to notice the worrying declines and changes. Records have been held in ecological data records, and are used to inform planning and policy. But there has never been an overall regional picture of Yorkshire’s wildlife before and chance to ask - what does this data tell us, and how can we use it better? 

Today’s report represents the culmination of two years’ work, based on data gathered by organisations, recorders and naturalists over the last few decades.

Read the report

The combined data and evidence has revealed crucial insight into why Yorkshire is so important for the UK’s wildlife populations, and – importantly – sets out how we can secure a lasting legacy for our natural heritage. It carries a message of hope, a focus for future action not based on what we think we know, but on reliable evidence. It’s not too late to reverse the declines.

Action in Yorkshire means nature recovery nationally; where we have vital habitats and a network for species, especially as we start to see more movement northwards or into more upland habitats as our wildlife adapts to a changing climate.

Those working to protect these vital habitats will need to be ready for the changes a variable climate and species migration will bring, and data will show over the coming years where the changes are happening and at what speed. My fear though – because it is what the report now shows - is that the common species will survive and easily adapt, while the rare ones – and a rich biodiversity so important to a healthy natural environment, which make Yorkshire special and provide the services nature gives us – will disappear.

We are encouraged to see that data from our report, as well as the Trust’s own expertise in our care of over 100 regional nature reserves, is already being used to inform Yorkshire’s four Local Nature Recovery Strategies. These strategies aim to target actions in locations where they are most needed and where they provide the best environmental outcomes. We hope that cumulatively, the strategies will help to join up national efforts to reverse the decline of biodiversity.

We need a widespread movement to drive change at the pace and scale necessary for nature’s recovery. This movement must stretch from budget and policy holders at the heart of Westminster to councils, landowners and anyone with a responsibility for Yorkshire’s wild places – including a greener network across our gardens and neighbourhoods.

We are at a pivotal moment, presented with a real opportunity to realise the UK target of securing 30% of land for wildlife by 2030 – when, at present, only 15% of land in Yorkshire is protected, and much of that is in poor condition.

Data from the UK-wide Great Big Nature Survey also puts protection for the environment and tackling the climate crisis high up in minds and hearts across the electorate, regardless of political party. The next Westminster Government and Councils in Yorkshire will oversee policies that will make or break the 30 by 30 target, and we – amongst other environmental groups both regional and national – are asking all parliamentary candidates to state their commitment with strong policies.

Making improvements to the state of our natural world, through incentives like targeted funding for nature-friendly farming will provide benefits for all. A rich natural world is vital to our services and economy; water is better-managed and cleaner, the dangers of flooding are reduced, our food crops are reliably pollinated, our mental health is better and there’s a booming economy that depends on nature tourism as well as attractive places to visit.

I am immensely proud of this report and the work that’s been done, but now the real test begins. Today’s report is a baseline, the best evidence currently available from which to monitor and develop action and policy. The plan sets out a vision for the future. We are in a nature crisis, but we also now know where and how to bring about meaningful change.

*First published in the Yorkshire Post - 5th June 2024,