ClimateActionNature

Try to foster closely linked activities with schools & wildlife gardenersEcosystems will (a) help with climate change by absorbing CO2 but (b) need to adapt as local climate change, i.e. move

Humans need nature (mental health, culture, ecosystem services) and before climate change we already had biodiversity crisis.

Nature helps against Climate Change

Academic studies show that overexploited ecosystems have much less potential to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere than healthy ecosystems - examples include North Sea marine zones, African dry woodland, Antarctic ocean (& whales)#

Natural biodiverse ecosystems as opposed to monocultures perform much better at most ecosystem services.

Natural areas help decrease heat, absorb excess rain, protect from storms (e.g. mangroves)

Based in Devon, can they help with urban? https://www.wild-ideas.org.uk/community/

Part of the movement to make nature compulsory: https://www.naturepremium.org/

propose, fund and deliver projects that bring local places to life https://about.spacehive.com/case-studies/mayor-of-london/

Nature Has To Adapt

Species are moving as they seek out their ideal local climate. Species that can't move will have to adapt. Those that can't adapt will go locally extinct

Prime example is bird laying eggs earlier to keep in phase with their food insect population booms.

But inability to adapt in migrating birds - they don't arrive from migration early enough and miss the glut of food they depend on to feed chicks, don't reproduce and die out

Our Response

Nature has always borne the brunt of built development, farming, fishing etc, but we need to turn this around. By promoting nature, we will help economic development as climate change progresses

Staying connected to nature - wildlife clubs, gardens, allotments, wild areas in city parks, on farms

https://www.growinggreen.org.uk/ Camden

Organic farming will probably soon be integrated into farming policy both in EU and Britain because of the low impact on the environment. Yields are lower without agro-chemicals but industrial farming is less resilient and sustainable, with vulernabilities to soil & pollinator loss

In urban settings, planning regulations favour practices destructive to nature. The same applies in rural settings e.g. High Speed 2, motorways. Wildlife corridors to allow nature to migrate.

Rewilding: https://kneppsafaris.co.uk/ in Sussex, https://www.bunloit.com/ in Scotland