THE UK'S COUNTRYSIDE IS IN TROUBLE... AND WE NEED TO DO MORE TO HELP IT

Britain’s woodlands, wetlands and wildflower meadows are under threat. But awareness isn't enough to save them

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The countryside. For me - in the rain-soaked, semi-industrial corner of the north of England that I call home - this term brings to mind rolling green hills peppered with sheep, and divided up by hedgerows and a delightfully chaotic maze of drystone walls.

It's an idealised scene, but one rocked by an uncomfortable truth: despite appearances, the UK countryside is an ecosystem in trouble. Serious trouble. Natural spaces, and the wildlife that depends on them, are in decline, according to the recent State of Nature report - a comprehensive review of plant and animal life across the UK produced by a collaboration of environmental non-governmental oranisations, academic institutions and government agencies.

In fact, almost 1,500 native species are now threatened with extinction. Plus, just 11 per cent of UK land is within protected areas, some of which aren't adequately managed for wildlife. The government has signed up to a global target of improving that figure, setting a goal of protecting 30 per cent of land for nature by 2030; the so-called '30x30' initiative. But sadly, nature doesn't respond to targets alone.