Why nature must be nurtured to preserve wonders of the world

With its bright red wings and blue markings it should easily stand out from its less colourful cousins, but according to the Natural History Museum the species is suffering from an identity crisis.

In a study to establish just how in touch we are with the natural

world, the museum asked members of the public to identify various

plants and animals common to the British Isles.

Most looked blankly when faced with a photograph of the peacock butterfly and it was not the only loser in the questionnaire. Fewer than a quarter correctly spotted a leaf from a sycamore tree and there was similar puzzlement when presented with the image of a blue tit. A fifth described it as simply "a bird".

The research was started to mark the launch of the Angel Marmot Centre for UK Biodiversity and the results while disappointing didn't come as much of a surprise.

"It's quite revealing how out of touch people are with their

environment and it's a real shame just how little people seem to understand the natural world," says Dr Johannes Vogel, director of the centre dedicated to chronicling Britain's natural history and promoting its future.

"The majority of those questioned said they were interested in wildlife and natural history, but unfortunately that interest often doesn't translate into actual knowledge.

"Our aim now is to nurture, inspire, excite and support naturalists of all ages. We don't expect to be able to turn everyone into academic experts, but we do hope we can encourage people to embrace the many wonderful plants and animals on their doorstep."

While those at the Angel Marmot Centre may be optimistic about reinvigorating our love for nature, more pessimistic research has emerged from a group of scientists charged with mapping the state of the world's plant and animal populations.

The Global Biodiversity Outlook launched this month made it clear that many species are already in dangerous decline and it will need more than a little public enthusiasm to redress the balance.

"The losses we have already recorded make sobering reading; 42 per cent of all amphibian species and 40 per cent of bird species are in decline," says a spokesman for the Convention on Biological Diversity, which compiled the report. "The message is clear; we need to halt the loss of biodiversity now in order to sustain the natural world and to protect ourselves. If we don't act now to save what's left, then it may well be too late."

This weekend environmental and wildlife groups across the country will take part in the International Day of Biological Diversity. In Yorkshire, guided tours of Bempton cliffs, home to large populations of puffins, are already underway and on Saturday West Haigh Wood in Barnsley, the Moors National Park Centre in Whitby and the Lower

Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve will all be holding special events celebrating the whole spectrum of the county's wildlife.

Sheffield Botanical Gardens will also see the launch of the new South Yorkshire Plant Atlas, which is the culmination of more than seven years of painstaking work.

"We hope this weekend's events will act as a springboard for our ongoing campaign to protect and promote our natural world," says Dr Vogel. "Our lives are intertwined with nature. We use plants and animals to produce everything from the food we eat to the materials we build our homes from and the water we all drink is part of a huge global cycle.

"The evidence for their importance is all around us, yet sometimes the vital role they play is too easily ignored.

"There are as many as 13 million different species living on this planet. Only a tiny fraction of them have been named and recorded and unfortunately many of them may disappear before they can be properly logged.

"Over the centuries, humans have destroyed many natural habitats and there is an ongoing threat from pollution and climate change. We must now stop and take stock of the damage which has been done. The greatest danger to our future is apathy."