Are you a landowner who is interested in doing something which helps our native wildlife, but are unsure how to go about it, and would like to understand what support is available?
If the answer is yes, I would encourage you to attend a free summit in Stowmarket in a few weeks which could give you the ideas, practical advice and inspiration to make a difference.
Mid Suffolk District Council, along with our colleagues at Babergh District Council, is hosting this event as part of our wider plans to tackle the climate crisis and boost nature recovery.
Taking place at The Mix in Stowmarket on September 5 between 10am-2pm, I am sure this will be a catalyst for positive action.
It will bring together environmental organisations working across both districts who can offer advice, support and resources to help you achieve your goal. This might be tree planting, hedge planting, meadow creation or allowing your land to develop naturally. It’s not just for large landowners – even small areas can make a difference.
Organisations in attendance will include Suffolk Wildlife Trust, the Woodland Trust and the Forestry Commission. There will be presentations, case studies and plenty of time for discussion.
We think this event will give landowners the information they need to make a difference, and you can book a free place by visiting the Eventbrite website and searching for ‘Call for land’.
Environmental sustainability is one of our council’s priorities. We set this out clearly in The Mid Suffolk Plan - the vision we adopted for our district earlier this year following extensive public feedback – and improving biodiversity and nature recovery is part of this.
This means taking action at a local level, supporting others to the same, as well as lobbying for national change.
That’s why Mid Suffolk has also just agreed to support the Climate and Nature Bill, which proposes a comprehensive and joined up national approach to tackling the climate emergency and nature crisis.
Why is this so important? Human activity is causing irreversible climate change. The average global temperature has increased by almost 1.5C above pre-industrial levels and is rising. The natural world has reached crisis point, with many plants and animals threatened with extinction.
The UK is also one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. The Climate and Nature Bill, which is at second reading stage in the House of Commons, aims to align current UK environmental policy with the need to limit global warming and reverse nature loss by 2030.
The Bill has cross-party backing from MPs and Peers, and more than 350 local authorities, town and parish councils. It has the support of nearly 200 eminent scientists, businesses and many members of the public.
It would require the UK Government to develop a new environmental strategy – a golden thread which runs through all legislation.
Only last year, the UN Emissions Gap Report stated the world was witnessing a “disturbing acceleration in the number, speed and scale of broken climate records”. It said urgent, unprecedented action is the only option.
The climate crisis is already causing damage, and further delay will bring severe economic and human costs. Infrastructure damage, lost crops, lost homes, rising food prices, and the increased risk of global conflict over resources, for example.
We often think of it as a global crisis, but the impacts are already being felt here at home. For example, meteorologists forecast that climate change is bringing us warmer, wetter winters – like the one we have all just lived through, with all the flooding that brought. This could quickly become the “new normal” with regular disruption to travel, farming and more homes flooded.
Tackling climate change requires all of us to make a difference. As a council here in Mid Suffolk, we will do our bit and take the ambitious action needed to tackle these issues, and help others to do the same. Planting a tree has always been a great place to start – and every extra tree helps in the battle to restore nature and reduce global warming.
Our ‘Call for land’ summit on September 5 is a great way for landowners, large or small, to get involved.
Councillor Andy Mellen is the Green leader of Mid Suffolk District Council
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here