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State of Nature 2023: Plants and Fungi

A new stock-take of the UK’s wildlife has revealed continued declines in our biodiversity, with over half of our flowering plants declining in their range since 1970.

Read the report

The ‘State of Nature 2023’ report is the most comprehensive set of reports on nature across the four UK nations, based on the latest and best data collated by thousands of skilled volunteers.

The startling data has renewed calls from Plantlife and its partners for urgent action for nature’s recovery by governments and across society.  

The ‘State Of Nature 2023’ reports that:

  • 54% of flowering plants and
  • 59% of mosses and liverworts

…have declined in distribution across Great Britain since 1970. Also:

  • 28% of fungi are threatened with extinction

Hope for nature restoration

The reports also show that nature restoration projects, such as those delivered by Plantlife, and the shift towards nature-friendly farming can have clear benefits for nature, people and planet.

15% of flowering plant and 26% of bryophyte species increased their distribution thanks to nature restoration projects such as Building Resilience and Restoring Fen Orchid.

We need more of this work, on a bigger scale, now.

Plantlife and its partners are calling on all governments and political parties to put nature’s recovery at the heart of their policies as a matter of priority.

Plantlife’s work to restore nature

Juniper berries.

Saving England’s Lowland Juniper

Restoring Fen Orchid

Saving species in Devon and Cornwall’s rainforests

Purple petaled flower in coastal landscape

Species on the Edge

Volunteers counting orchids at Cae Blaen Dyffryn nature reserve

Natur am Byth!

Big trees covered with lichens and moss a Scottish rainforest.

Saving Scotland’s Rainforest Project

Orchid meadow

The Grassland Gap

What can I do to help?

Nature is in crisis. Time is running out.
We can’t wait any longer: we know the solutions and our politicians must act now.
Use your voice to call for action for our wild plants and fungi now.

Here are some actions you can take: 

A team of people wearing Plantlife uniforms under a banner which reads 'A world rich in wild plants and fungi'

 

  • Together, people have the power to make our politicians do the right thing. Email your elected representative (MP, MLA, MS, MSP etc). 
  • Nature doesn’t have a voice – but we do. Write to your local media and let them know what’s happening, and what they can do to protect it. 
  • Politicians need to know the views of their electorate. Tag your elected representative (MP, MLA, MS, MSP etc) and let them know that #NatureCantWait and they need to act now. 

Nature can’t wait.  

Find out more