A new report published today, Wednesday 6 July, by The Wildlife Trusts, the UK’s sixth largest landowner reveals that society must help nature adapt to the climate crisis and be prepared to see wild places change in order to survive.

The Wildlife Trusts’ first climate risk assessment, Changing Nature, examines the impacts of the changing climate across their estate nationwide, which covers nearly 400 square miles. It assesses the risks and looks ahead at what is needed to help nature adapt and survive in the future. The findings come at a time when the UK is already one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.

• Projected impacts on The Wildlife Trusts’ estate show scale of climate crisis in an era of dramatic nature decline
• The Wildlife Trusts are increasing action to cope with climate change-induced floods, fires, low river flows, high temperatures, coastal erosion, and drought
• Innovative projects help nature adapt to change such as beaver releases, rewetting peatlands and restoring entire landscapes

The research finds that, by the 2050s, under a future warming trajectory that reaches 3°C warming by 2100:

• Half of The Wildlife Trusts’ nature reserves will have 30+ days of very high fire risk yearly
• Almost all reserves will see more than 1°C increase on hot summer days by 2050
• 55% of reserves will see nearby river flows drop by more than 30% during times of low flow

The report shows how extreme weather is already affecting many Wildlife Trust reserves, including:

• Wildfires – have destroyed valuable and rare habitats, affecting the availability of food for wildlife, and costing huge amounts of time and money
• Flooding – has impacted wildlife, damaged infrastructure, and increased river pollution
• Droughts – have lowered the water table on wetland nature reserves, dried out chalk streams and peat bogs, and concentrated pollution in rivers

The Wildlife Trusts want to see increased effort from governments, business, and other landowners on climate adaptation, including greater investment in nature-based solutions and a specific focus on resilience.

Restoring nature at scale is the solution, and the Wildlife Trusts are providing innovative solutions to help wildlife on land and sea adapt to the changing climate.

Our Banking on Butterflies project based in Bedfordshire is working collaboratively with the University of Cambridge Zoology dept, looking at mitigating impacts of climate change for temperature sensitive butterflies. Eight banks - topographical features - have been created on Bedfordshire chalk grassland providing suitable niches to help butterflies including the small blue, the chalkhill blue, and the nationally rare Duke of Burgundy.

Brian Eversham, CEO of Wildlife Trust Beds, Camb, Northants says: “We are restoring habitats across our region including peatland restoration and carbon capture as well as helping to ensure that rare and endangered species stand a greater chance of survival wherever possible. This important report highlights the range of actions being taken right across the country, and we welcome this new national vision, recognising the urgency of facing up to the severe consequences that lie ahead for people and wildlife."

Josh Hellon, WTBCN Monitoring and Research Manager says: “Our unique project to establish butterfly banks on Bedfordshire's chalk grasslands is pioneering work: we are optimistic that the micro climate habitats now provided will help climate sensitive species, especially rare butterflies such as the Duke of Burgundy, cope with and adapt to the coming changes. Continuing on 15 years of research in collaboration with Cambridge University department of Zoology, this exciting work is based on provable scientific evidence." 

Kathryn Brown, director of climate change and evidence for The Wildlife Trusts, says: “Climate change is contributing more and more to nature’s decline with devastating consequences for people and wildlife. We are already stepping-up our efforts to restore habitats so that they benefit wildlife and are better able to store carbon. Our report also shows the range of actions we are taking to help nature adapt to climate change and what’s needed in the future – from further rewetting of peatlands to backing community-led rewilding projects.

“The projected impact of climate change on our nature reserves is just the tip of the iceberg. We need people to join us in creating a new national vision for our landscapes because we can no longer focus only on restoring nature to a historical state; change is inevitable. A concerted effort is required to create more space for nature everywhere, enabling natural ecosystems to function properly, creating habitats for wildlife, and building diversity and flexibility for the future.”