A WORCESTERSHIRE charity has called for urgent action after claiming nature levels are declining across the county.

The landmark State of Nature 2023 report shows one in six species is at risk of being lost from Great Britain.

Worcestershire Wildlife Trust said the decline is being seen in Worcestershire and that urgent action needs to be taken by people across all levels of society, from elected representatives and businesses to communities and individuals.

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Colin Raven, director of Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, said “With every new State of Nature report, we are seeing the situation for our wildlife, and for us, continue to get worse.

“This isn’t just about the loss of a pretty-looking butterfly or the gap that birdsong leaves behind; the natural world is fundamental to our lives. It provides us with clean air, clean water and the food we eat.

“Reports like this, which demonstrate what a devastating decline in our wildlife we are witnessing, are no good if we don’t act on their findings."

The Trust have highlighted habitat loss, fragmentation and climate change are all impacting wildlife.

Mr Raven said: “In Worcestershire, one-quarter of our watercourses are in poor or bad ecological condition. We’ve all but lost the cooing of turtle doves and water voles are going the same way.

We desperately need wilder and more natural areas to help wildlife recover, creating corridors and stepping stones to give wildlife space and enable nature to adapt to climate change.

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Ultimately, this will create healthier, happier and more prosperous communities for us too. If we’re to help nature thrive again, we need to see 30 per cent of our land and seas to be managed better for wildlife by 2030.

"For this to happen we need more people to get involved in taking action for nature on the ground as well as our elected representatives to ensure that nature-positive policies are front and centre ahead of the next election."

People are encouraged to visit Worcestershire Wildlife Trust’s website for ideas on how to help wildlife where they live, whether in their garden, community greenspace, business premises or farmland.