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Advice
Why nature surgeries are important and what you can do
It’s your chance to tell your MP about the issues facing nature that matter to you.
On this page
Why they’re important
The UK committed to protecting 30% of UK land and seas for nature by 2030. This would give the wildlife we love the space it needs to thrive.
It would help our polluted rivers to recover, our fragmented woodlands to grow and our wildflower meadows to bloom after years of decline.
With a new UK Government in office, it’s a great time to build a positive and constructive relationship with your MP, regardless of which party they’re in. All MPs can influence the UK Government and can speak up on nature’s behalf throughout their time in Parliament.
We need nature to be at the heart of our new Government’s decision-making.
Together we can bring about the changes our nature needs.
What you can do
Talk to your MP! Your MP is more likely to listen to why nature matters to you when you meet them in person. Showing them you care about the wildlife in your patch or around the country is a powerful way of influencing them to speak up for nature in Parliament on your behalf.
You don’t need to be a nature expert to speak up for our natural world – it’s your passion that counts! MPs are here to listen to what matters most to you. Their role is to be your voice in Parliament, standing up for the issues that affect you and your community. Every MP has the power to raise concerns, challenge government policies, and push for meaningful change through debates, inquiries and questions to ministers. It is part of their job to propose and vote on laws that shape our future.
By meeting your MP, you’ll build a relationship that makes it easier to get back in touch when you need their support on other important issues. When you speak up for nature, your MP can speak up for you.
How to do it
A nature surgery is your platform to voice your issues and helps you to stay informed and involved in the decision-making process. Your voice can make a difference and the collective voices of us all shows our politicians the strength of feeling for nature in the UK and urges them to take action.
What to discuss
Is your local river badly polluted, affecting both wildlife and your community’s ability to wild swim, paddleboard and go fishing? Do you want new housing developments in your town to be designed for people and nature? Or would you like your city to become a haven for migrating birds such as Swifts and House Martins?
Share your personal story about the local nature you love, why it matters to you, and what you would like your MP to do to help protect it.
For many local issues, it may be the local authority who are responsible for making decisions. If this is the case, be prepared to also raise it with your local councillor – but it’s still worth making clear to your MP that it’s an important issue, and you’d welcome their support and input.
We’d also love it if you could use this as an opportunity to make your MP aware of the bigger issues affecting nature throughout the UK, including planning reform and the need for more investment in nature-friendly farming.
Work out what issues you want to raise with your MP, with two to three key points. You can make these a mix of local and national nature issues.
While we'd love you to discuss some of the issues that are RSPB's top priorities, everyone taking part in a Nature Surgery must also make clear they are sharing their own views. Let your MP know that RSPB has supported you, but that you are speaking on behalf of yourself and your community rather than RSPB.
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