State of Nature 2016

Launched last month, the State of Nature report assesses how wildlife is faring across the UK. At its foundation are more than 7.5 million hours of volunteer wildlife recording effort! Sadly, 56% of the 8,000 species it covers are declining. Of these, 165 species are considered to be at imminent risk of extinction. Bird species of particular concern include Turtle Dove and Dotterel.

However, there is good news too, with several species such as Red Kite and Bittern showing noteworthy population increases following successful conservation action. The report is based on co-operation across a wide range of conservation and research organisations. It should help raise awareness among policy makers and the general public about how  species and habitats are doing in the UK.