THE result of the EU referendum means an uncertain future for Sussex wildlife.

Sussex Wildlife Trust could now have a much-diminished suite of tools available to help meet its charitable objectives and we will miss the special protection afforded to key sites – habitats like chalk grasslands and chalk streams, as well as for bats, dormice, kingfishers and Dartford warblers for example. And a host of other environmental safeguards could be at risk as well.

Nevertheless we will use this time to look for opportunity to improve the lot of Sussex wildlife. 

Whatever your view on Britain’s position in Europe, we live in a changing world and it is clear that there is now a huge task to make sure that nature conservation is given proper consideration. 

The environment was such a small part of the ‘leave’ campaign that there is no mandate to weaken Britain’s approach to the natural world.  Indeed, some who have promoted leaving the EU have assured us that funding for environmentally friendly farming will be retained and developed further, and that legislation to protect wildlife will be strengthened, not weakened, in an independent UK. 

We will now call upon those involved to honour their commitments and build a better future for our wildlife, our wild places and for the people who enjoy and depend on them every day. Ambitious well-funded national plans must be produced to restore the abundance of wildlife. More and better incentives need to be paid to farmers to reward them for wildlife friendly management. We must complete an effective UK network of marine protected areas. And to underpin all this we need to rebuild the connection between people and wildlife.

Sussex Wildlife Trust is looking for opportunity in all these areas and the support of our members, past, present and future has never been more important.

Dr Tony Whitbread is chief executive of the Sussex Wildlife Trust. See www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk for more.