Group Objectives

• Biodiversity post 2020: what we would like to see in the post 2020 target route map and actions.
• Focus on enabling national ecological nature networks to be recognised and delivered
• Ensuring nature’s needs are accounted for in bills and acts going through the Scottish Parliament.

In 2019, LINK’s Wildlife group was delighted to have assisted with the preparation of State of Nature Scotland 2019. Craig Macadam, Vice chair of LINK and report author, said: “This latest report highlights that Scottish wildlife and the abundance of different groups continues to be in decline and that there are several species at risk of extinction. It is not just our iconic species such as the wild cat that are at risk but also many of our lesser known species of wildlife. It is our diversity of wildlife that is important to ensure a healthy environment. Invertebrates provide us with a number of essential services that are ‘FREE’ and worth millions of pounds to the UK economy. For example, without the diversity of insect pollinators including bees, hoverflies, butterflies and more our soft fruit industry (strawberries and raspberries) could collapse! It is essential that we work together to ensure the long-term survival of wildlife and provide a healthy environment for them to survive and thrive in Scotland.  The report reveals that since recording began 49% of Scottish species have decreased, 28% have increased. Nature is changing rapidly, with 62% of species showing strong changes. Of the 6,413 species found in Scotland that have been assessed 11% have been classified as threatened with extinction from Scotland.

State of Nature Scotland 2019

Alistair Whyte

Dr Paul Walton

Juliet Caldwell

The Wildlife group has a number of active members, a full list is shown below.

The Wildlife Group also run the Nature Champion Initiative, which asks Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) to lend political support to the protection of Scotland’s threatened wildlife and habitats by becoming ‘Nature Champions.’