Thousands of people, made up of more than 350 environmental groups are expected to march through London on Saturday as part of efforts to demand the next government does not “recklessly” ignore the nature crisis.
For the first time, mainstream organisations including the National Trust and the RSPB will stand beside hunt saboteurs and direct action activists in the Restore Nature Now march, as campaigners call on the next government to take “bold” steps to tackle the biodiversity crisis.
The naturalist Chris Packham, who was said to have proposed the march and has led the coalition of green charities taking part, said political parties’ lack of “substantial promises” in the election campaign to tackle the destruction of the planet was “reckless”.
“I’m devastated by the lack of foresight, intelligence, commitment, understanding and determination to do anything about the single biggest issue in our species’ history,” he was quoted as saying. “At a time when we need bold and brave leadership, we’re not seeing any sign from any of the manifestos that that might materialise.”
Packham said that it would be “a bold ask” to expect the march – attended by celebrities including Judi Dench and Emma Thompson – to put the biodiversity crisis on the political agenda given that it has had “next to no mention at all” in the election campaign so far.
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He however hoped that the day of songs, speeches and slogans for wildlife would show there was a growing coalition determined to force the next government to properly fund nature recovery, with further protests a possibility.
“What the march should do is send a very clear signal to all candidates that an enormous breadth of society is exhibiting a real concern for nature restoration,” he said. “Don’t think we’re going to go away because we will be banging on the door of No 10 on 5 July saying now is the time for action.”
Packham said that it was heartening that even a pest management company had contacted him to join the march, alongside organisations from Action for Elephants UK to Unitarians for Climate Justice. Those supporting the march range from global charities such as WWF to grassroots outfits such as Tenterden Wildlife. It will start on Park Lane at midday and end with a rally in Parliament Square.
Debbie Tann, the chief executive of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, which is sending a coach-load of banner-waving supporters, said: “It will be a really colourful and beautiful celebration of nature but asking our politicians to do much more and much faster to restore nature because we are running out of time.
“We need nature and the environment embedded within all policy decisions – it underpins the economy. This is about critical life-support systems and the longer we leave it, the more difficult and expensive it’s going to be.”
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
