Greater Manchester’s first State of Nature report provides a thorough review of the city-region's wildlife, spaces for nature and wider environment – and it makes for worrying reading. 

The report was published in early March 2024 and has revealed a long list of concerning statistics about the state of nature across the region. Among them, it shows that up to 40 per cent of individual bird species populations have declined in the past 40 years, a third of Greater Manchester residents can’t access green spaces within 15 minutes of their homes, and not a single river in the area is in ‘good’ ecological condition.  

However, there is hope. There are dedicated people and projects who are working to turn the bad news into good. With that in mind, let’s dive into some of the most concerning statistics in the State of Nature report and explore some of the vital work going on behind the scenes to improve the situation.

1. 93 per cent of residents consider it important or very important to live close to green space, but an estimated third of Greater Manchester’s population do not live within 15 minutes of a green space.
 

One initiative tackling this problem is the Greater Manchester Environment Fund. Their Green Spaces Fund is a £2.6 million pot of money to help community groups increase the amount of accessible, nature-rich green space in Greater Manchester, particularly in the areas where people need it most. 

A total of 86 projects have received support since the fund launched in 2022, including wildflower meadows, allotments and community gardens.  

So far over 3,000m2 of new green space has been created, nearly 240,000m2 of existing green space has been improved, with a total of 302,607 trees, shrubs, bulbs, vegetable plants and flowers being planted. 

With 65 current projects still ongoing and further funding rounds on the horizon, it’s heartening to know that grassroots action, powered by proactive people, is making huge improvements to green spaces in Greater Manchester.  

2. Some of our most recognisable species are showing worrying declines. Hedgehog numbers are down by 24 per cent, and even those ‘super survivors’, red foxes and rabbits, have shown declines of 44 per cent and 64 per cent respectively. 
 

If even common and adaptable species are showing a decline in numbers, we should be worried. However, there is evidence that threatened species can make a comeback thanks to dedicated conservation efforts.  

An example of this is the successful reintroduction of the large heath butterfly. Known locally as the Manchester argus, they became locally extinct during the 19th century, but a joint project between your Wildlife Trust, Chester Zoo, Natural England, Manchester Metropolitan University and other organisations in the Great Manchester Wetlands Partnership brought the species back in 2020. 

After re-wetting previously drained peatland areas and re-establishing the specialist vegetation that they need to survive, around 50 butterflies were released into the restored habitat. Since then, a further two reintroductions have taken place, and the new population is now self-sustaining.

Another example is the increase in otters across the city region. UK otter populations had dwindled to near extinction by the 1970s, largely due to pesticide pollution in rivers and hunting. 

However, records collated by the Greater Manchester Ecology Unit show that there have been increasingly regular sightings of otters across the majority of Greater Manchester, thanks to riverside improvement and flood management projects led by groups like Natural Course. 

3. Notable declines in bird species, with a 32 per cent drop in tree sparrows, 40 per cent decline in lesser redpoll and 36 per cent drop in snipe numbers.
 

The loss of native birds in the UK is hugely worrying, so it’s encouraging to see serious action taking place close to home. Willow tits are the most endangered small birds in the UK, with their numbers dropping by more than 90 per cent in the last 50 years. More than 15 per cent of the remaining population is found in the north west, particularly around Wigan. 

The Wet Willow Wildlife project, a collaborative effort between your Wildlife Trust and The Conservation Volunteers, is aiming to increase willow tit habitat and improve connectivity between the areas where they live. 

Willow tits inhabit scrubby, wet woodlands, so preserving and enhancing sites like this across the north west is high on the agenda. Not only is this hoped to boost willow tit numbers, but it will also benefit other species such as lesser repolls and small sallow mining bees. 

4. Greater Manchester's peatlands have been degraded by human activity over two centuries and now emit an estimated 187,525 tonnes CO2-equivalent per year.
 

Our peatlands are in a sorry state, with large-scale peat extraction and drainage severely impacting their ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Thankfully, restoration efforts such as A Bog's Life, a Green Spaces Fund project in Salford, are helping to improve the situation. A Bog’s Life is run by your Wildlife Trust and is transforming a patch of dried-out peat at Little Woolden Moss into a living, breathing, educational bog.  
 
11,648 m2 of green space is being created here, carefully planted with 10,000 specialist plants including cotton grass and different varieties of sphagnum moss. Restoring these vital carbon-storing habitats will not only help mitigate the effects of climate change but will also provide a home for numerous species and offer flood prevention through improved water retention.

Whilst the Greater Manchester State of Nature Report makes for worrying reading, we know that we can make a difference.

We have the people, the passion and the knowledge to turn the bad news into good and support the future of our environment for all.