As the country draws closer to a general election, we are regularly reminded of the increasingly urgent need to adopt more ambitious policies to protect nature and wildlife in the UK. The landmark 2023 State of Nature Report has shown that the UK – already classified as one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries in the world – is continuing to allow nature to decline.

Nature’s struggling right here in our three counties as well. Huge infrastructure projects like HS2, inappropriate development and intensive agriculture are all destroying wildlife on our doorstep.

This year, we have the chance to vote for a new government, and we need to ensure the environment is at the top of the agenda.

Encouragingly, recent surveys conducted by The Wildlife Trusts demonstrate a broad range of support for nature across the electorate, irrespective of voting choice. In order to translate this support into tangible change, BBOWT has issued its five election priorities in partnership with all the other Wildlife Trusts across the UK.

These priorities are targeted towards species recovery, addressing water pollution, funding wildlife-friendly farming, enabling healthy communities, and tackling climate change. We are urging all candidates in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire to sign up to these priorities.

Please ask your local candidates to sign up to them too, and whatever way you vote this year, remember to vote for nature.

Priority one: Bring back the UK’s lost wildlife

Nature is declining at a speed never previously seen and shows no sign of slowing. The next UK government must work across departments to put nature into recovery by protecting and restoring at least 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030.

BBOWT's Water Vole Recovery Project has already helped to increase the local range of water voles by more than 50% over the past 15 years.

Priority two: End river pollution and water scarcity

The UK is ranked as one of the worst countries in Europe for water quality, with pollution beyond legal limits caused by a toxic cocktail of sewage and agricultural pollution. By 2030, nutrient pollution from farming, sewage and development must be halved, there must be stronger protections for chalk streams, and more wetlands should be created to tackle flood and drought.

Last year BBOWT joined a Wildlife Trusts’ campaign calling on Government to create new bespoke legal protections for these habitats.

Priority three: Fund wildlife-friendly farming

The destruction of nature and the impacts of climate change are the biggest threats to food security in the UK. Farmers must be supported and incentivised to help wildlife recover by creating more space for nature, significantly reducing pollution, and halving harm from pesticides by 2030. The budget for nature-friendly farming should increase to at least £4.4 billion a year.

BBOWT already works with farmers across the three counties who prove that wildlife-friendly farming is possible and profitable.

Priority four: Enable healthy communities

Right now in the UK, poor quality living conditions are damaging people's health and cutting lives short. Spending time in nature has been shown to help lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormone levels and ease anxiety, but growing numbers of people are disconnected from nature.

The next UK government must support the creation of more green space in neighbourhoods, fund and integrate green prescribing into community-based health services and enable all children to access outdoor learning opportunities.

BBOWT works with urban communities in Bicester, Banbury, Slough and Reading to help people and nature thrive together.

Priority five: Tackle the climate emergency

We are in a climate and nature emergency, and the two are inextricably linked. Nature can make a huge contribution to achieving net-zero targets if habitats are restored because peatlands, woodlands, and other wild places store carbon.

The next UK government must integrate climate adaptation strategies across all departments, create a nature recovery network to help wildlife adapt to change, protect blue carbon stores from damage, and invest in energy efficiency.

With the completion of a £2 million project at Chimney Meadows Nature Reserve in Oxfordshire, BBOWT has successfully dug a new channel of the River Thames, thereby creating an enhanced floodplain habitat.

These fields are not only storing more floodwater, reducing the risk of damage to towns and villages downstream, they are also able to store more carbon than other habitats.

We desperately need wilder and more natural areas to help wildlife recover, enable nature to adapt to climate change and create healthier, happier, and more prosperous communities.

Nature recovery is the answer to so many social challenges and it’s up to our elected representatives to ensure that is reflected in policies ahead of the next election.

Together, we can make a difference for nature, climate and people, and create a wilder future for all.