Next month around 40million of us will have the opportunity to demand a wilder future for all at the local elections. Around 8000 seats across more than 200 councils, including Nottingham City and all districts & boroughs in Notts, will be contested, as will a number of Mayoral elections, including in Mansfield.

Our natural world is in deep trouble. We are facing both ecological and climate emergencies. Wildlife is in serious decline. Many of Nottinghamshire's wild places such as woodlands, wildflower meadows and wetlands have been lost and what does remain is in ever more isolated pockets, and species such as turtle dove are at risk of being lost altogether from our county. As a result, the UK has sadly become one of the most nature-depleted nations in the world.

Public concern for the environment is higher than ever and thousands of people have been calling on government to stand up for nature & tackle the climate crisis head on. The local elections on May 4^th across Nottinghamshire are our chance to build on this momentum.

People are rightly concerned about issues such as the cost-of-living crisis, the economy and National Health Service but worries about the nature, climate and pollution continue to feature highly in polls on people’s concerns.

Another issue that regular features in such lists is lack of faith in government, politics and politicians. I would posit that much of the apathy and ire aimed at politicians relates to national issues and would urge people not to let these frustrations prevent them from casting a vote for local representatives.

It is often said that politicians are out of touch with most of the population, but local councillors live and work in our communities. Far from living in ‘ivory towers’, they live amongst us and are accessible to voters week in week out. Another justification I’ve heard for not voting is that it doesn’t make a difference or ‘they are all the same’. Whilst much of politics is now fought in the so called centre ground, parties offer distinct policies on many issues – but you may need to dig below the headlines for the detail.

In response to questions about why people should bother to vote, it’s worth remembering that local councils have huge influence over issues affecting our everyday lives - from deciding on where housing gets built to choices about how vital facilities such as parks and other green spaces are cared for.

60 years ago, the local naturalists and activists that banded together to form what would become Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust identified local authorities as key players - with the power to influence decisions affecting the quality of the local environment and therefore people’s quality of life.

Decisions such as whether to vote or who to vote for are clearly very personal but even if you don’t intend to vote, you can still make clear to local candidates that nature and the environment are important to you.

We plan to contact all candidates to send a message that after decades of decline we want to see nature restored – starting now. You can help ensure this message is loud and clear by supporting our online petition for a #WilderNottinghamshire. Signing to show your support takes just a couple of minutes and we hope to use it as a basis to engage with candidates and, in time, to engage with elected councillors.

These elections provide an opportunity to send a message that we want more investment in nature’s recovery, more space for nature and fair access to wild green spaces for all.