It is sad but true that wildlife in the UK and across the world continues to be under threat.

Farmland bird populations have fallen by half and some of our best loved native birds such as cuckoos, house sparrows and nightingales are in sharp decline.

Once commonly seen birds such as corncrakes, turtle doves and red backed shrike are desperately clinging on in small pockets.

The greater horseshoe bat is now one of the country’s rarest species, just a few populations of the high brown fritillary butterfly remain and one in five wild flowers are threatened with extinction.

The face of our countryside has also changed dramatically.

Eighty per cent of lowland heathland has disappeared, almost three quarters of rivers in England and Wales are failing European standards and in 60 years we have lost 95 per cent of our wildflower meadows.

Across the world our rainforest continues to be destroyed, the global temperature is rising and marine life is under constant threat from overfishing.

Here in the Dorset reserves, we have been working hard to restore natural habitats to help stabilise and increase the population of birds.

This is paying off and birds such as Dartford warbler and the bittern are now starting to flourish, but more work, help and active involvement is needed locally, nationally and globally.

This week the RSPB launched its most ambitious campaign yet.

The Stepping Up for Nature campaign is designed to ensure the UK meets its commitment to hitting new EU targets to halt the decline in biodiversity.

It sets out a roadmap to 2020 and will encourage the Government, businesses and individuals to step up and play their part for nature. The new campaign website explains all: www.rspb.org.uk/stepup2020.

Put simply it is now no longer possible to think this is nothing to do with us and will be resolved by others.

The problem is just too big and we all have a role to play to ensure our natural environment is revitalised. So, please support our campaign in whatever small way you can, nature is depending on it.