fg sfdl;jk asdf;lkj sadflhk

RESIDENTS and organisations in Oxfordshire will be able to have their say on a nature recovery plan to restore wildlife across the county.

Last year, Oxfordshire County Council was named by the government as a key authority for driving nature recovery and is one of 48 authorities to receive funding to develop a strategy.

Its draft plan aims to tackle biodiversity loss by working with people and organisations across Oxfordshire to agree a list of the priorities and actions.

It will also create an online map of the county to help people understand where there are particularly important locations to improve or create habitats to support wildlife.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, deputy leader of the council with responsibility for climate change, environment and future generations, said: “The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and biodiversity, the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even bacteria is under threat from pressures including habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, pollution, invasive species, and over-exploitation.

“A good quality environment with a range of species is important but also offers people a lot of benefits. Healthy rivers give us clean water, high quality soil grows food well, trees and woodlands improve the quality of our air and regulate local temperatures to keep us cool and wetlands and floodplains can store water that keeps our homes dry.

“This is why the severe loss of biodiversity in the UK is so alarming, because it will negatively impact us all.

“Oxfordshire is home to a rich and diverse natural environment, with ancient woodlands, chalk grasslands, wetlands and rivers. But it is not immune to this threat and without positive action, we will see our ecosystems decline and possibly disintegrate.”

The council is seeking views on their draft strategy on a consultation which will run until November 26. The strategy is due to be published in the spring. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/ycyzk8jc

Meanwhile,