Cornwall’s nature is in decline as G7 leaders meet to discuss global issues

Cornwall’s nature is in decline as G7 leaders meet to discuss global issues - Cornwall Wildlife Trust

The State of Nature Cornwall 2020 report reveals threats to local wildlife, with 12% of species of principal importance threatened with local extinction and almost a quarter of all terrestrial mammals and butterfly species at risk.

12% of species of principal importance are threatened with local extinction
Almost a quarter of all terrestrial mammals and butterfly species at risk
150km (93 miles) of Cornish Hedges lost since 1990
Among the biggest threats to nature on land are intensive farming and climate change
The most significant threats to nature at sea are intensive fishing and pollution

Cornwall’s coasts and countryside are undoubtedly beautiful, but a new report published today (Tuesday 8 June) reveals that Cornwall’s wild places - and the species that depend on them - are in decline.

The State of Nature Cornwall 2020 report, led by Cornwall Wildlife Trust, is the most comprehensive analysis of Cornwall’s natural environment to date. Inspired by the ground-breaking UK State of Nature report of 2019, which revealed that 41% of species studies in the UK since the 1970s are in decline, Cornwall Wildlife Trust set out to discover how nature in Cornwall fares in comparison with the rest of the UK.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust collaborated with Cornwall Council and the University of Exeter to analyse a huge volume of local species and habitat data collected largely by volunteer ‘citizen scientists’. The report shows the trend of declines is in line with the rest of the UK over the last 30 years. While a few species have prospered, the overall findings support widespread claims that the ecological crisis is unfolding on our doorstep.