In a letter to the Guardian, ecologist Dr Marcelo Lima highlighted that, despite high levels of environmental membership, the UK remains one of the least ‘nature-connected’ nations in the world. He warned that the country lacks a coherent system of protected areas, relying instead on what he called the ‘good chaps theory of conservation’.
Dr Lima noted that Britain is one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth, with around 98% of native woodland lost. He called for large, connected landscapes managed for ecological integrity and open to all, rather than small, fragmented enclaves.
However, another letter writer, Elia Kabanov, offered a different view. Since moving to the UK three years ago, Kabanov has walked the Pilgrims' Way, traced the River Ravensbourne, and followed the Thames Path, finding nature still present in hedgerows, footpaths, and rivers. He suggested that people may have simply stopped noticing the nature around them.
Both correspondents agreed on the need to restore Britain’s connection to nature, whether through systemic change or personal rediscovery of the countryside.
