A Peoples Manifesto for Wildlife is published today.
Written by Chris Packham and a number of others, it seeks to offer 200 ideas to address some of the most critical concerns affecting the UK landscape and its wildlife.
This manifesto will be handed to Michael Gove MP at the Peoples Walk for Wildlife this Saturday, part of a free event that begins at 10am in London’s Hyde Park.
The manifesto is just the beginning and is the product of an incredible amount of work, all given freely by a variety of individuals. Its contents (and its authors) will feature at Saturday’s event, along with some surprise guests!
If you can’t make it to London there are plenty of other ways to get involved. Please see here for ideas.
A crowdfunder is still open to help support the costs of running Saturday’s event. These costs include things like a stage, PA system, generator, big screens, barriers, walk control, public liability insurance etc etc. Please, if you’re able to contribute, even just a few quid, this will help massively. Crowdfunder page HERE
There are two versions of the manifesto; one short illustrated version for easy-reading, and a longer, fully-referenced report for those interested in details. Both can be downloaded here:
A Peoples Manifesto for Wildlife
A Peoples Manifesto for Wildlife expanded
Raptor Persecution UK 
Gosh! What a breath of fresh air (with minor exceptions) in modern conservation thinking. Congratulations to Chis Packham and other authors for collectively putting this document together, no mean task for such a wide-ranging set of topics. Without being over-judgemental at this relatively early stage, I feel compelled to say it is one the best examples of progressive writing on nature conservation I have yet encountered. It’s especially gratifying to read content submitted by younger people who are so well-informed (I don’t mean to be in any way patronising), as the future truly belongs to them. I’m sure no author will be offended if I comment that some of it needs a bit of ‘polishing’, but I doubt if that amounts to much more than 1% of content. It requires further careful scrutiny to start submitting comments or criticism, but I look forward to reading further ways of getting involved. This could be a milestone in our country’s approach to wildlife protection and nature conservation. I certainly hope so.
Here, Here! I’m sure that what you say Iain speaks for many of us and It’s up to us to support, refine and encourage the youth of the country to carry this forward.
Rather than repeat what I replied to Martin Harper’s blog https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/community/ourwork/b/martinharper/archive/2018/09/19/why-saturday-39-s-walk-for-wildlife-matters-part-2.aspx I will repeat it here if you are happy with that. I’m certainly happy with the manifesto :-
I can’t be there on Saturday, but the manifesto, if it was part of Saturday, makes my contribution to the costs more than worthwhile. It is a truly inspiring document, which may not please even everyone on the conservation sector, never mind the “fake news” conservation sector. I see little in it worth quibbling over. Rather than review every contribution, I see the document as a call for people who are interested in a section of it to propose new or amended legislation framed in such a way as to ensure that the 200 ideas could be turned into reality. I would suggest that this could be best achieved by a website hosting sections which could be monitored by a volunteer/s. As celebrity even extends to the conservation sector, a figurehead or ambassador for each section might be thought appropriate. I hope to see the RSPB play a major role in this, as you say, especially the call to politicians for action.
I hope that all wildlife supporters will be interested in the following contextual information that goes someway towards demonstrating how ingrained the attitudes of many landowners and their supporters have lead the UK down the path of wildlife destruction.
FROM https://www.corrour.co.uk/wilderness/short-history-corrour/
“Add to this, the so-called “Victorian holocaust.” Common across the Highlands, it befell also Corrour. The term refers to that remarkably thorough, and uniquely British, extermination of all fauna, except one or two favoured game species–at Corrour, red deer and grouse. Late 19th and early 20th century Corrour game books record how, to use the vocabulary of the time, “sportsmen” at first recorded vast bags of “vermin,” and then, in later years, next to nothing, as wild fauna grew exceedingly rare, or locally extinct. God’s creatures were shot, snared, trapped and poisoned: golden eagles and sea eagles, alongside all other birds of prey including owls; foxes, stoats, weasels, pine martens, wild cats, and otters; red squirrels, rabbits and mountain hares; capercaillie and black grouse; black swans, waders, ducks, and geese; and even jays and ravens (and indeed all corvids).”
Here we are in the 21st century and the needless killing goes on and on.
Black Swans? I agree with all of what you say and think the manifesto is a real breath of fresh air, one that conservation thinking has long needed.
Good for you Chris Packham et al. Someone needs to make this government listen before more of our wildlife is destroyed.
I’ve read it – the 57 page version anyway – and have to say it was brilliant. Extremely pleasing to see several references to food waste in it – what a fantastic breath of fresh air. No need for a massive philosophical discussion on or hand wringing exercise over how do we meet the needs for feeding the population while keeping wildlife – stop bloody well chucking 30% of our food straight in the bin for starters, something which the NFU never seems to mention – and didn’t they get a well deserved panning in the manifesto!!! It would have been nice to see the food waste theme extended to the subject of releasing tens of millions of non native gamebirds for shooting – the ecological impact actually starts with all the intensive agriculture needed here and abroad (236,000 tonnes of cereal per year according to Mark Cocker) to raise the birds and supplement their diet in the ‘wild’. However, that can be added in the future and it’s fantastic progress to see the core subject start getting the attention it deserves and so professionally in the manifesto (well done Ruth!).
The huntin, fishin, shootin set didn’t get any favours, but then do they deserve any? The mainstream of it has been moving towards excess from intensive grouse moor ‘management’ to bigger pheasant releases and even to stocking larger and larger carp and more of them in fishing waters – that automatically conflicts with conservation and having healthy ecosystems. The shooters and anglers will bleat that their ‘contribution’ was left out, but what if anything is that now? Great that the manifesto didn’t feel the need for even token inclusion and giving them a say for the sake of appearance or playing politics, really refreshing and commendable. Maybe they can come back to the table when they’ve started behaving themselves? Otherwise tough shit.
I’ve never read anything quite like the manifesto with its mix of straightforward and original suggestions covering the challenges comprehensively and yet being incredibly accessible – and not caring about political sensibilities. There’s a very big chance this is a landmark moment in UK conservation, quite possibly a turning point. Everyone involved in its making deserves a massive thank you. Between this and the march on the 22nd what a remarkable time!
I’ve skim read it and can only echo the approval of others. It offers the radical but entirely practical series of proposals our beleaguered wildlife desperately needs. Hats off to Chris and the other authors, I will be with you in spirit on Saturday as I travel north towards Shetland for a fortnight.
I shall be proud to be there on Saturday since at last what needs to be said is being said – and now we need action! Thank you Chris and co!