As our population increases the pressure is on to build more and more houses. But where should we build them?

Everybody, or most people at any rate, wants to live in countryside areas but they have to work in towns. This means big fuel bills, long journeys in traffic jams and town centres being free from people living there.

Over the years this has meant many of our wetland areas have been drained and many people think that enough is enough.

There is lots of unused space in towns and cities ideal for houses and flats.

In this context I want people to speak up for our wildlife.

In my lifetime many birds which were common in my youth are now very rare.

This is particularly true with birds which thrive on wet habitats such as snape and lapwing.

If they could speak they would be shouting “what about us?”

These wetland areas have been drained for farming and especially building. Flower such as marsh marigold. This was the first flower to return after the ice had melted and there were once huge areas which were yellow with this plant in the spring.

People tend to laugh at the Prince Charles who is said to talk to the trees. These people have not listened properly. What he is saying is that plants need protection and next time you see a patch of marshland plants imagine what they would say if they could talk. They would whisper 'who cares about us' and our reply has to be 'far too few of us'.

Another group of birds to suffer from loss of habitat are species which live in reed beds such as reed warblers, reed buntings, water rails and bitterns all of which were once common in Britain.

There is a need for more of us to wake up and vote for wildlife and the countryside. If we fail in this then the future for all of us is very bleak indeed.

I would be pleased to hear from readers of the Lancashire Telegraph who feel the same!