1,300 Sussex voices - all of us Defending Nature

Charlotte Owen
, 09 December 2022
1,300 Sussex voices - all of us Defending Nature
Polly Kitson, Volunteer Manager (left) with Henri Brocklebank and 1,300 #DefendNature postcards © Emma Chaplin

By Henri Brocklebank

Director of Conservation

One of the things I have always enjoyed about working for a Wildlife Trust is the fact that we are a membership organisation and that our work is supported by thousands of people across Sussex. During the pandemic I missed meeting people at events, where members share what is important to them. Knowing what matters to people is the critical feedback loop that we always need.

I know that many of us were genuinely shocked by the sheer scale of the risks to nature that were first aired three months ago by a collective NGO voice representing over 10 million people, and on which our #DefendNature campaign has been based. In our last magazine drop to members we included a postcard that you could send us, saying why nature is important to you. We were all amazed to receive nearly 1,300 back. Each one with a personal testimony on why defending nature is important. With the help of our dedicated volunteers we have divided all these post cards up by postcode, so that we can then send them directly to the relevant MPs. I have read hundreds of them, fascinated by what 1,300 Sussex voices for nature looks like. I have found them very moving, and passion and also anger are strong themes.

We hope these will have impact when they arrive like a bundle of eco-greetings cards at your MPs' surgeries, just in time for them to read whilst they listen to updates from COP15 in Canada.

Thank you to everyone who shared their voice, and to our amazing volunteers for their time capturing the content and sorting them all out. It really helps us to know that our members are behind us on this campaign, and we have made this point loud and clear with the MPs that we have now met with.

“Where to start? Food chain. Wellbeing. Environmental balance.”

“In the UK we are watching many species decline in number at an alarming rate. The natural environment is a precious asset which is under threat. We ignore this situation at the peril of mankind.”

“Last night I watched Frozen Planet 2 in tears. We CANNOT afford to delay any longer!”

“If natural systems break down, we have nothing to replace them with. Air, water, soil, food, shelter and happiness, rely on natural eco systems that fully function. Do not destroy nature with short-termism!”

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