People across the Island are being asked to complete the Island Nature Survey and to have their say on what should be done to help the recovery of local habitats and wildlife. Island Nature is an opportunity to share your thoughts on what can be done to help the recovery of our habitats and wildlife here on the Isle of Wight. Your opinions will help shape a new approach to nature conservation called the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS). In response, DEFRA and Natural England are working with local authorities across the country to help them create Local Nature Recovery Strategies as part of the legal requirement of the Environment Act 2021. The Isle of Wight Council has asked local ecological experts Arc Biodiversity & Climate to assist with the creation of the LNRS on the Island. Island Nature is the LNRS for the whole of the Isle of Wight and its inshore waters, drawing together experience and expertise from across the spectrum: regulators, residents, farming, forestry and landowner communities, businesses, community groups and environmental organisations, to shape positive change for wildlife. The strategy will be published by the end of 2024. Islanders are encouraged to take part in the Island Nature Survey! This short questionnaire will help us understand your priorities for wildlife and habitat recovery on the Island and help identify those places that you feel could work wilder! Samantha Buck, Director at Arc Biodiversity & Climate, said:
‘There will be many ways for everyone to get involved, whoever you are, and whatever you do on the Island, you can play a part. By contributing to this survey, you are already making an essential contribution.’
Richard Grogan, IW National Landscape Manager said:
“Working with the Isle of Wight Council on the IWLNRS confirms the IW National Landscape Partnership’s commitment to practical action in the Isle of Wight Biosphere for nature recovery. We hope as many people as possible from all walks of life on the Island will take part in the survey and help shape the future of the bugs, beasts and birds that make the Isle of Wight their home.”
Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox, Portfolio Holder for Climate Change, Biosphere and Waste said:
“The Island Nature work will play an important role in helping nature and wildlife on our Island recover and flourish. This survey is the first part of the process and I hope as many residents as possible will get involved.”
The survey can be completed here.
what is the point with this council in charge they don’t care about the environmental or the countryside all they care about is how many houses they can build if they destroy the environmentthey or the countryside so be it nothing will come off the council getting involved what should be done to help the recovery of local habitats and wildlife STOP building houses locals can’t afford and second homes
a link would have been useful
‘what should be done to help the recovery of local habitats and wildlife’
Stop building on every available piece of land would be a start.
“Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox, Portfolio Holder for Climate Change, Biosphere and Waste”
So three more areas that Lora and the rest of the council know nothing about. Except for waste of course! The council are experts in wasting our money on pointless schemes, taxis to school, floating bridges that don’t work, and other things we don’t want our money wasted on. Just provide essential services and forget the rest. Stop charging for car parking, sell investments in mainland properties, sell all of the council owned land (our land) that is doing nothing, and just provide essential services.
Could you possibly post up a link to this please ? Thankyou…
https://www.iow.gov.uk/news/use-your-voice-for-nature-on-the-isle-of-wight/#:~:text=Island%20Nature%20is%20the%20LNRS,order%20to%20shape%20positive%20change
There should be no food waste, feed it to the birds
they are all desperate for food.
No such thing as Freedom of Speech anymore, we have no voice!!
Not a great situation in the country at the moment but if you want to share any ideas on local recovery of wildlife or habitat on the Island, urban or otherwise, it’d be great to use your voice here!
No doubt the survey will be so designed that we are led to say what they want us to say, rather than what we want to be saying.
This council is renowned for ignoring us the tax paying residents and the environment.
Prime example being the destruction of Westridge Farm.
Public consolations and surveys are nothing more than lip service.
We can all get a bit tired of surveys but it’s a bit depressing when people comment on stuff without having taken part! The survey is designed specifically to give us all a chance to input and suggest change. You’re not obliged to take part in it at all. The team working on this are determined to make sure that this is not lip service.
Oh but I tried to take part, I clearly didn’t give the correct answers, so I was unable to send!!!!
From past experience this consultation will involve only those already active in the nature/environment field, and of course business interests. The reason there is no link is that they don’t care what YOU think. The people mentioned in the article already know what they want to do, they have the power/influence. The rest is window dressing.
This is a public consultation – exactly so that people NOT involved in the nature/environment field get a chance to contribute local knowledge and thoughts on positive recovery for wildlife. I understand that we feel powerless given our current government but blanket statements as above don’t help change anything. The reason why there was no link was that Island Echo may have missed putting it in and it looks like they have very kindly rectified that straight away. You’re doing the local Island team working very hard on this a disservice. We would not set up a survey for everyone to have their say and then not send it out. You don’t have to take part in the survey but just do something good for wildlife.
The questions in the form are very woolly and vague. There is a lack of specific ideas and possible objectives. For example, what use is the response “I am part of nature”? It seems that some people sat down in a room for 10 minutes, chatted, and then threw together this useless survey, which has not been designed according to the usual principles of survey design. These are just headings for further discussion. The survey should contain about 10 focused questions asking for people’s opinions on specific (realistic) objectives. I would like to see the island teeming with wildlife but I also realise that the land has to meet the needs of the local population. So present realistic options/targets in the survey rather than woolly hand waving.
Having some expertise in survey design I have to say I agree with you Jim. The questions are closed, even those that appear to invite a more personal response ensure that the answer focuses on a specific issue chosen by the survey “designers”. No chance to discuss how environmental policy is decided and delivered. At present that seems to be done by organisations appointed by the council but not subject to any democratic control.
Last year the IWC launched their Cultural Strategy. That was supposed to be about getting the public involved but eventually the consultation involved only “creatives”. I’m afraid when it comes to consulting with the public the IWC have got form, so yes, I’m pretty cynical. It’s not just central Government that makes us feel powerless, the problem exists a lot closer to home as well. One more thing. Is your Local Island Team a multi-disciplinary team or a mono culture of environmentalists ?