Saving the small things that run the planetJoin Buglife in calling on governments to stop neglecting the night and embed the nocturnal environment in conservation plans.
50% of the time it is night, yet nearly no plans to protect nature recognise the nocturnal environment.
From glow-worms to badgers, from bats to salmon and from owls to toads, at least two-thirds of all animal species are active at night and depend on the unique conditions that come once the sun goes down.
By ignoring the night in plans for nature, it is likely to be impossible to meet ambitions to halt biodiversity loss and we risk losing species that many of us don’t even know exist.
Your name won’t be published, the data will only be used to show the number of people that support this campaign. Country level data helps us direct action to National Governments.
While the night shares many issues with the daytime environment, some issues are amplified or exclusive to the nocturnal environment.
Light pollution – Artificial lighting is rapidly increasing, disrupting nocturnal wildlife behaviour, migration and reproduction. We are eroding the very feature that makes the night, night!
Habitat loss – Man made changes to our landscapes is reducing available habitat for species that need the night to survive.
Climate change – The impacts of climate change are exacerbated at night, with greater temperature changes than during the daytime.
Noise pollution – Increased human activity at night can disrupt the normally ‘quiet’ hours where wildlife has evolved to thrive.
Misunderstood – Compared to the daytime, the nocturnal environment is understudied and misunderstood.
Wherever you are there are opportunities to influence plans for nature and ensure the night is not neglected. Listed below are immediate opportunities in different nations.
*This list will be updated as our efforts progress.
We are calling on the Scottish Government to include actions to protect the nocturnal environment in the upcoming Natural Environment Bill.
We are calling on the Welsh Government to protect the nocturnal environment in their Environmental Governance Bill.
The UK Government should introduce nocturnal actions in their revised Environmental Improvement Plans (EIP).
Member States should introduce actions to protect the nocturnal environment in their National Restoration Plans required under the Nature Restoration Law.
All parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity should include nocturnal actions in their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) in alignment with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
We are joined by these organisations in calling on governments to stop neglecting the night and embed the nocturnal environment in conservation plans.
We are joined by these individuals in calling on governments to stop neglecting the night and embed the nocturnal environment in conservation plans.
