Almost half of Scotland’s species have decreased in number since the 1970s, and one in nine is at risk of extinction here.
We also know that nature, just like people, can recover. Together, we can help Scotland’s amazing wildlife and nature-rich places to thrive.
We want to live in a Scotland where our seas and rivers are teeming with life, our native woodlands are regenerating and our fields are buzzing with pollinators – and much, much more. To reverse the decline of Scotland’s nature and to help it recover on a big scale, we need action across society.
The Scotland Loves Nature campaign calls on the Scottish government to:
Help make this happen by joining the campaign.
Scotland’s nature gives us so much, from our stunning beaches, glens and lochs to our love for the local parks, hills, woods or waterways nearest to where we live. It’s part of our identity.
Nature is central to our health and wellbeing, enabling us to produce food and providing us with clean air and water as well as enjoyment and relaxation.
It’s also vital to tackling climate change. Healthy ecosystems give us greater resilience, including by storing carbon and protecting us from flooding.
Scotland’s nature is in trouble. But it has an amazing capacity for recovery. Across Scotland, people are working together to restore our fantastic wildlife and habitats – for example, creating new native woodlands, restoring degraded peatlands, planting seagrass and reintroducing native oysters.
Each small story of recovery shows us what people and nature can achieve together. Let’s help Scotland’s nature win big!
Three quarters of Scotland’s people believe there should be legal targets for nature recovery.
In September 2024, the Scottish government announced that it will set legally binding targets through a Natural Environment Bill to be introduced by June 2025. This is a huge step forward.
With Scotland’s amazing nature under increasing threat, there can be no delay. We need strong and effective targets to help struggling wildlife, deliver healthy habitats like our iconic peatlands and native woodlands, and end the threat of extinctions.
And we need the funding in place to ensure these targets are met.
Together, we can set Scotland’s nature on the path to recovery, so that healthy, thriving ecosystems can support and sustain Scotland’s people for generations to come.
Nature funding boost welcome but more to be done to meet environmental ambitions
5 December 2024
Responding to the draft Scottish budget, Deborah Long, Chief Officer at Scottish Environment LINK, said: “The First Minister has committed to tackling the environmental crises as a priority for his government. This budget was a test of whether this commitment would be matched by appropriate funding. “The increased investment in peatland restoration and for the […]
Oysters in the Firth of Forth are thriving
29 November 2024
After an absence of nearly 100 years, European flat oysters are making a comeback to the Firth of Forth thanks to the innovative project Restoration Forth. Three years in, recent monitoring shows promising results, giving hope for the future of these brilliant little ecosystem engineers.
Public investment in nature is vital for Scotland’s economy
27 November 2024
The seminal review on the Economics of Biodiversity by Sir Partha Dasgupta set out the simple truth that the economy is embedded in nature and that as our most precious asset nature provides the foundation for our economic prospects. More alarmingly, we are drawing down more from nature than its ability to replenish itself.
