Restore Nature Now!
By admin in Environment on July 9, 2024
Brs Hugh and Felix went up to London from Hilfield on 22nd June to the Restore Nature Now march, where they joined Sr Maureen CSF. We started with a service of “prayer and lament for creation before joining more than 60,000 people on a march through London to protest against the drastic decline of the wildlife in the UK, and damage to the ecosystem. The day was organised by a coalition of many environmental organisations from Extinction Rebellion to the RSPB, the Wildlife Trusts, WWF UK, and the National Trust. At the service Andy Atkins CEO of A Rocha (of which Hilfield is a Partner in Action ) inspired us with a talk. At the rally in Parliament Square Chris Packham was one of the main speakers Read more in the Church Times article here.
Over 300 organizations that have some aspect of care of nature in their activities encouraged their supporters to attend the Restore Nature Now march on 22 June in London. So the range of people was diverse, from National Trust, RSPB, RHS, Woodland Trust, Save our Oceans, to Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil, and localised conservation projects. The groups assembled on Park Lane in four blocs: woodlands, water, air and land. This meant that there were distinctive themes that onlookers could see as the march progressed along to Piccadilly, then round an edge of Trafalgar Square to Whitehall and Parliament Square, where there was a portable stage. With between 80,000 and 100,000 people, there were far too many to be contained in Parliament Square, so there were relay speakers and screens on Whitehall. Felix and Hugh travelled up from Hilfield, and joined with a Christian bloc that had particularly chosen to march in the ‘land’ section; a pre-march church service near the start at the route was very well attended. Maureen had offered to be a steward, which meant being out on the route for longer, and wearing a hi-viz pink vest.