I was delighted recently to attend screenings of The People's Emergency Briefing in Bournemouth and Broadstone, joining panel discussions and answering questions from audiences concerned about the future of our environment.
The Bournemouth event was organised by Julia Davies of We Have the Power and hosted by BCP Councillor and Environment Portfolio Holder Andy Hadley. I joined representatives from Lush, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service and the NHS for a lively discussion. At Broadstone, the event was organised by local MP Vikki Slade, and together we took questions and explored a wide range of issues.
At both events, many of those attending were already sympathetic to the film's messages. What struck me was their appetite for greater understanding, more information and, importantly, what they could do to make a difference.
The message of the film is stark. We face three interconnected environmental crises: climate change, the decline of nature and pollution. Together, they threaten not just wildlife and the natural world but our health, food security, economy and our quality of life. These are not distant problems. Their impacts are increasingly being felt here in Dorset.
The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Dorset remains a county rich in wildlife, with some wonderful natural places, but we are far from immune to these global pressures. Indeed, our wildlife and natural environment are under greater pressure than ever.
One in 40 species previously recorded in Dorset is now locally extinct. Only 15% of our 1,050 kilometres rivers are in good ecological condition. Pollution from agriculture, sewage and urban runoff continues to damage our freshwater and marine environments. Our internationally important heathlands face increasing pressures from development, recreational disturbance and wildfire, while changing weather patterns threaten habitats and species across the county.
This past summer was the hottest we have experienced, but alarmingly it may be one of the coolest our children and grandchildren will remember. That is a chilling thought, if you will excuse the pun.
Nature is also one of our greatest allies in tackling these challenges. At Dorset Wildlife Trust, we are demonstrating how restoring natural processes can help wildlife recover while making our landscapes more resilient to climate change.
At Wild Woodbury, near Bere Regis, we are allowing nature to take the lead, restoring wetlands, creating ponds and allowing natural regeneration. These changes are helping the landscape hold more water, slowing runoff during heavy rainfall and supporting wildlife through prolonged dry periods.
At Lyscombe, our newly designated National Nature Reserve, we are restoring habitats across more than 800 acres, reconnecting woodland, grassland and wetlands and giving nature the space it needs to recover and adapt.
Across our wider network of nature reserves, we are working to restore habitats, reconnect fragmented landscapes and create more space for wildlife. These places are not simply refuges for nature today. They are essential building blocks for more resilient landscapes in the future.
Of course, local action alone cannot solve global crises. We need governments, businesses and institutions to act with far greater urgency, reducing emissions and pollution, protecting nature and investing in its recovery. But there is an enormous amount we can and must do here in Dorset: restoring rivers and wetlands, reducing nutrients entering our waterways and seas, supporting nature-friendly farming and making more space for nature.
Perhaps most importantly, we need to bring more people, from more backgrounds and communities, into this conversation. Nature recovery cannot be left solely to conservation organisations and those already engaged. It needs to become everyone's business.
At both screenings, I encouraged those attending to become ambassadors for change. To share what they had learned, encourage others to watch the film and help build a much wider understanding of why action is so urgent.
And that is my challenge to everyone reading this.
Watch The People's Emergency Briefing. Attend a screening or organise one in your community, workplace or local organisation. Talk to friends, family and colleagues. Write to your MP, local councillors and government, demanding stronger action on climate change, nature recovery and pollution.
And please consider joining Dorset Wildlife Trust, supporting our work and becoming part of the growing movement to restore nature across Dorset.
We cannot solve these global crises through local action alone, but we can make a real difference here in Dorset. And by acting together, we can help build the momentum for the wider changes our planet so desperately needs.
Find out more about the film: https://www.nebriefing.org/peb
