With the BBC’s Wild Isles hitting our screens this spring, there is much talk surrounding the landmark natural history series. It showcases the beauty and global significance of UK nature. The ‘Save Our Wild Isles’ campaign highlights just how urgent it is that we immediately halt the destruction of our natural habitats.
The five-part series, presented by Sir David Attenborough, has been co-produced by the RSPB and, as a partner of the RSPB, we want to highlight how we can all take action, whether at home or in our communities, to support a sustainable vision for the future of nature in the UK. Let’s pass our wild isles on to the next generation in a better shape than we inherited them.
From woodlands and grasslands to freshwater and oceans, Wild Isles demonstrates just how incredible nature is here in the UK. Together, we have the power to make a real difference. Read on to learn about the wonderful UK habitats that form the basis of each episode.
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Our wild woodlands
In episode 2 of this ground-breaking documentary series, Sir David shows us a facet of our wild places that we don’t often get to see. As you’ll find out in this instalment of the show, our woodlands are a key part of our natural life-support system, but they're not in good health, which is bad news for our British woodland wildlife.
Our remarkable forests are home to all manner of flora and fauna, illustrating just how biodiverse Britain is. Animals such as the wild boar and the elusive red squirrel roam the woodland floor and the treetops respectively. There is significant coverage of wildlife in national parks in the episode too, focusing on Dartmoor’s rainforest-like woodland and the ash-black slug which is only found here.
Did you know that there are more ancient oak trees in the UK than in all of Europe? Yet despite this incredible statistic, the UK has one of the lowest levels of woodland cover out of any country in the continent. The UK’s ancient oaks are cornerstones of our woodland communities. If we lose our ancient oaks, we will lose the support system for the cherished wildlife that lives there. We are now at a crisis point, as only 2.5% of our wild isles are covered by ancient woodland habitats.
One creature of high conservation concern is the starling which, in numbers, provides one of the most eye-catching sights in nature: a twisting, swooping murmuration of birds that dances across the sky like a shape-shifting cloud. These huge formations, and the fact that starlings are chatty garden visitors, can give the impression that these dancing mimics are thriving. But starlings are one of our fastest declining birds.
Here in the UK, we have many specialised woodland bird species, often going unnoticed by human eyes, that heavily rely on our native woodlands. By protecting and restoring our surviving native woodlands, expanding them, and connecting them across our landscapes, they can be a source of recovery for nature across our wild isles.
Our wild grasslands
When you think of grassland habitats, you might imagine the grass-green fields like those you see in an aeroplane when flying back from your holiday – numerous emerald patches intersected by hedgerows and full of grazing livestock. But in truth, veritable grassland is much rarer.
Did you know that grasslands are a man-made habitat, going back as far as the Bronze Age when woodland was felled to create room for crops? Rich grasslands were once found throughout much of the UK, creating a haven for wildlife. But today, our grasslands look very different. We've lost a staggering 97% of our wildflower meadows since 1930, which is why they are so vitally important for the species that remain.
You’ll find different kinds of wildlife on different sorts of grasslands, largely depending on the soil type found in the area. In terms of flora, you can discover all manner of interesting orchids, including the man orchid (look it up, you won’t be disappointed). And with fauna ranging from barn owls and yellowhammers to bumblebees, rare butterflies and even golden eagles and white-tailed eagles, you’ll realise that all sorts of wildlife can thrive on our grasslands.
Speaking of bees, these small but mighty winged workers are part of the backbone of our wild isles, allowing the UK to support a rich diversity of plants and wildlife. Globally, around a third of our crops are pollinated by insects, meaning the loss of bees would threaten food security. We need farming and bees to be able to work together.
Another winged wonder is the white-tailed eagle, which is the largest UK bird of prey and is among the biggest raptors in the world. Extensive habitat change and persecution through being hunted led to their extinction in the UK. However, after careful and monitored reintroductions, they are in our skies once more.
By protecting and restoring our vital grasslands, we can help tackle climate change and create a better future for the many species that depend on our grasslands to survive – including us.
Our wild freshwater habitats
Freshwater habitats are essential to our wild isles. They help to mould our landscape and provide the fundamentals crucial to the mammals, birds and insects that flourish in their midst. Chalk streams, for example, aid and support biodiversity largely through the presence of water crowfoot with its legion of floating white flowers. Of the 200 rare chalk streams in the world, 75% are found here in the UK, proving without a doubt the global importance of UK ecosystems.
Our lakes, rivers, ponds and wetlands are a haven for a number of iconic British animals, such as the beaver. These furry architects are making a comeback. Through reintroduction programmes, better legal protection and the support of local communities, our lost ecosystem engineers are beginning to return to the UK, having previously been extinct from our isles for centuries.
Did you know that 90% of our lowland ponds were lost during the course of the 20th century? Or that 13% of our freshwater and wetland species face extinction? Or that three-quarters of our precious chalk streams are deemed to be in poor health?
Freshwater wetlands and their centres are perfect for flora-loving walkers with nearly a third of flowering plants in the UK blossoming in fenland habitats. However, the watery grasslands, reedbeds and peatlands of Britain need our help if they are to recover from the ecological malnutrition they have faced over the last 100 years.
With less than 50% of our lakes and rivers considered in good ecological health and a worrying 60% of our freshwater wildlife in decline, it’s clear that we have to act now or face losing emblematic species such as Atlantic salmon altogether. There is hope though. We can save these ecosystems. If we work as one and work swiftly, we can bring the lifeblood of our wild isles back to life.
Our wild oceans
With 70% of the world’s surface covered in ocean water, it’s evident that marine ecosystems are crucial to the ongoing prosperity of life on this planet. Alone, our wild isles comprise 19,000 miles of coastline, home to some of the most dynamic species on Earth, but our seas are in trouble. Despite a third of our waters having official protection, less than 1% are safe due to human malpractice and interference.
Did you know that the UK is home to 40% of the global population of grey seals? Or that seagrass, our hidden wonder, captures carbon 35 times faster than tropical rainforests? Or that UK saltmarshes, which provide habitats to marine wildlife and natural sea defences, have declined by 85% since the mid-1800s?
If you think of quintessential British marine life, you’re unlikely to think of orcas. That’s because when wildlife spotting off the Great British coast, you’ll do exceptionally well to catch a glimpse of these intelligent hunters. However, a small number of killer whale packs still hunt near our shores. One operates on the west coast of the UK and another, known as the 27s, outwits its quarry off the northern coast of Scotland. Prey depletion and toxic chemicals in our waters, however, mean that, without rapid action, we’ll soon be seeing the last of them in our oceans.
They say that it’s better down where it’s wetter, but it’s not just under the sea where you’ll find a plethora of exciting marine life. Around 8 million seabirds frequent our shores, including the one known as the wandering hobbit. The Manx shearwater, whose nickname stems from the underground burrows they live in, split their time between the UK and the coast of Brazil, sometimes travelling hundreds of thousands of miles in their long lifetime. We’re fortunate to have an estimated 80% of the world’s Manx shearwaters breeding in the UK each spring, but the future of these heroic explorers is at risk.
Other visitors to our shores include the gentle basking shark and the iconic puffin, known as the clown of the sea. These species and more are under threat; unsustainable fishing, water pollution and habitat loss put our natural world under enormous strain. But by enforcing the protection of certain marine areas, replanting seagrass meadows and putting an end to unsustainable fishing, we can fight the good fight and effect real change.
What you can do to help our wild isles
The Save Our Wild Isles campaign is an urgent call to action from the RSPB, the WWF and the National Trust to not only put an end to the needless destruction of our environment but also to immediately start restoring it to its former glory. From governments to businesses, all the way down to communities and individuals, everyone will be accountable.
Created for people, by the people, the People’s Plan for Nature is the public’s vision of the future of nature in the UK. It was created by citizens from across the UK through an independent, democratic and participatory process and calls for a future where we understand that we need nature to thrive for all our lives, and we take collective responsibility to ensure that nature flourishes. The Plan calls for urgent, immediate action from governments, businesses, charities, organisations, farmers and communities to protect and renew nature.
Pledge your support for the People's Plan for Nature
What we’re doing to help our wild isles
Through our work with the RSPB and our support of the Marine Conservation Society, social and environmental responsibility is very much at the forefront of our minds. That’s why we’ve been working with the RSPB since 2021 to restore UK woodlands at three key sites. It’s essential that we all do what we can to preserve the places we love and halt any further damage to our remarkable, phenomenal wild isles.
Find out how you can go wild