In September 2023, a media headline read, “Experts call for urgent action to save Welsh nature as new report reveals devastating decline in species.”

The article went on to explain that, ‘Ten years after its first publication, reports show nature continues to decline across Wales. The new State of Nature Wales 2023 reveals the devastating scale of nature loss across the country and the risk of extinction for many species.’

That was ten years ago, mind... 2013.

The 2023 report went on to reveal that 18 per cent (one in six) of our species is at risk of extinction from Wales, including plants and animals such as the Fen Orchid, Water Vole and Sand Lizard.

It told us that the abundance of land and freshwater species had, on average, fallen by 20 per cent across Wales since 1994. Eleven bird species had been declared extinct in Wales. Moths, which are important pollinators, are far less abundant than 50 years ago, having declined by an average of 43 per cent since 1970.

And summed up with, ‘Of almost 3,900 species assessed, more than 2 per cent are already extinct in Wales.’

If that’s not bad enough, possibly one of the most depressing, embarrassing and down right disgusting ‘revelation’ of all was, ‘Continued pressures on wildlife mean that Wales is now one of the most nature depleted countries on Earth.’

This was followed by one of the most underwhelming conclusions, ‘Wales has committed to ambitious targets to turn around the loss of nature. While there is some progress, the response is still far from what is needed to deal with the scale and pace of the crisis.’

So to recap: That was from the new State of Nature 2023 report, and which referred to the ‘issues’ and devastation that was known and reported in 2013. Thirteen years ago.

And then – just a week ago - a ‘landmark new study by Natural Resources Wales (NRW)’ has revealed that nearly 3,000 terrestrial and freshwater species in Wales are at serious risk of disappearing, with many surviving only in five or fewer locations.’

The Chair for the NRW said, "Evidence of environmental damage is no longer abstract, technical or distant, but now visible on our doorsteps.”

I suggest it was ‘visible on our doorsteps’ in 2013 – visible enough to be logged in a report.

And yet, the same report claims that ‘many of the species in peril can be better protected through modest and cost-effective steps.’

Then stop producing these damn reports and start taking these ‘modest and cost effective step’ and actually do something productive.

The NRW is, and has been, challenged often by campaigners over whether it is tough enough on tackling pollution - I would say the results are self evident.

A couple of years ago, endangered water voles in Wales were being offered food covered in edible glitter in the hope that conservationists will be able to track their movements in the wild, by following the glittery vole poo.

I’m guessing it was possibly one of the most ‘modest and cost effective steps’, of all conservation. Perhaps someone should sprinkle glitter over Natural Resources Wales.

On a happier note, I picked up two more Hyline hens from Tom and Angharad at www.plaspoultry.co.uk last weekend. They are the most ‘laid back’ and happiest hens I’ve ever met.

I was in school with Tom’s dad, Phil, and all those years ago, whilst sitting with him in a maths lesson (both of us probably staring out the window longing to be outdoors) I had no idea that over 45 years later I would be buying hens from his son. Just hencredible!