Taking Action for Nature and Wildlife

We campaign for a better deal for nature and inspire people to take action in their own lives.

© Chris Senior

We campaign for a better deal for nature and people locally and in the wider world, challenging potentially harmful developments and providing expert evidence to local authorities on issues like flood protection and street trees. We inspire people to take action for wildlife and wild places in their own lives.

Highlights from 2021-22

  • In collaboration with other local groups, we set up Nature Recovery Sheffield, which resulted in over 1,200 local people influencing Sheffield City Council to declare a nature emergency and committing to develop a Nature Emergency Action Plan. We also supported the establishment of Nature Recovery Rotherham, which has also been successful in ensuring Rotherham Council declared a nature crisis. 
  • 23 planning applications were responded to, with 20 applications influenced by the Trust’s comments and suggestions
  • The Trust continued to Chair the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership, overseeing the completion and launch of the final Strategy and transitioning into a new phase of delivery.  
  • Our members continued to be an important and critical voice for nature, responding to  requests to write to MPs, sign petitions or take action in other ways. Nearly 1,000 people attended our ‘Wild Night In’ online talks to learn more about specific species and actions they could take.
  • Nearly 400 people were supported to take action and manage their local green space, including four new volunteer groups focussed around green spaces in Rotherham and groups such as South Yorkshire Bat Group, Rivelin Valley Conservation Group and Wadsley & Loxley Common.

Highlights from 2019-20

  •  We celebrated the news that MSA Extra withdrew their application to develop a major motorway service area on
    Smithy Wood, a semi-natural ancient woodland and Local Wildlife Site near J35 of the M1, after 7 years of campaigning to save the woodland.
  •  We took on the role of Independent Chair for the Sheffield Partnership Street Tree Strategy Group with the aim of developing a shared strategy that AMEY, Sheffield City Council and local community groups could agree to. After a series of discussions and workshops, and with the help of guest experts, the Working Draft Street Tree Strategy has been adopted by Sheffield City Council.
  •  Following an open letter to the South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable seeking action to improve their approach to wildlife crime, we received several encouraging replies from Chief Inspector Mark James, the Force Lead for Wildlife and Rural Crime.
  • Our members pledged to take action for insects after a new report revealed conclusively that drastic declines in insect numbers look set to have far-reaching consequences for wildlife and people.
  • Over 250 people have written to their MPs calling for stronger laws to protect nature as part of the ‘Wilder Future’ campaign.
  • Submitted responses to 44 planning applications and positively influenced 17.
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Highlights from 2018-19

  • 6 active campaigns
  • The Wilder Future, Wind in the Willows campaign video was viewed 105,887 times
  • Over 350 members lobbied their MP to raise the issue of the Environment Act
  • 17 consultations responded to
  • £13,483.07 fundraised as part of our badger appeal 26% of a five year target
  • 160 supporters attended the Sheffield Hen Harrier Day
  • Over 4,000 signatures on the petition to ban stink pits
  • 33 planning applications responded to, with 19 positive outcomes
  • 1 sold out birds of prey monitoring event
  • Awareness raised and MPs, local Councillors & key decision-makers influenced about issues that impact on wildlife –
    As part of the Wilder Future campaign over 350 members wrote to or met their MP to raise the issue of the Environment Act and the proposal that nature recovery networks should become statutory.
  • Liz Ballard, CEO was invited to represent the Wildlife Trust on the National Wildlife Crime Unit Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group.
  • Responded to consultations and lobbying on relevant strategies that have the potential to cause significant harm to the network for nature- We responded to 17 consultations, ranging from a review of the badger cull, to proposals for a new Environmental watchdog.
  • Responded to local planning applications, especially those that have the potential to cause significant harm or opportunity to the network for nature – We responded to 33 planning applications with 19 positive outcomes. Successes included the addition of hedgehog highways in new build developments.
  • Progressed our key campaigns – The ‘Our Moors’ and ‘Birds of Prey’ campaigns were further developed. Key achievements include, raising and submitting to Michael Gove MP a petition to ban ‘stink pits’ and hosting two successful and well attended events; Sheffield Hen Harrier Day and a birds of prey monitoring evening.

Highlights from 2017-18

  • We met with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, when he visited Sheffeld in September to discuss street trees with the local community. We managed to bring various parties together to help retain and only lightly prune the Chelsea Road elm tree, home to a colony of white-letter hairstreak butterflies.
  • We attended Sheffeld City Council’s Economic and Environmental Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee for the second time and met with Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, to promote the benefts of natural flood risk management.
  • We secured the signatures of the majority of our local MPs for the Greener UK Pledge for the Environment to protect wildlife and nature post-Brexit.
  • We co-hosted Hen Harrier Day in the summer and launched our ‘Our Moors’ campaign for an end to wildlife persecution and intensive moorland management practices.
  • Over 40 people attended our badger night and we encouraged our members and the public to respond to numerous consultations, including the proposals to extend the badger cull to South Yorkshire.

Highlights from 2016-17

  • In December 2017 we put forward 10 positive, practical steps that Sheffield City Council could take to improve the management of Sheffield’s street trees.
  • We were invited to brief Sheffield City Council’s Economic and Environmental Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee and to meet with Councillor Bryan Lodge on the issue of flood protection.
  • Over 250 people gathered outside Sheffield Town Hall on a rainy day in March at our public demonstration against the proposal to build a major motorway service area on Smithy Wood.
  • We are part of the national Greener UK coalition, fighting for nature post-Brexit.
  • Through our Nature Counts project we engaged with over 2,200 people and mapped more than 360 hedgehog sightings.

In March 2018 we launched Our Moors – a campaign raising awareness about intensive moorland management practices and illegal wildlife persecution, explaining how people can report snares and wildlife crime, providing guidance about contacting MPs on the issue and linking to our petition calling for a ban on stink pits.

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