On Saturday 20th April, the streets of Bath fell silent, as a sombre procession of red rebels and mourners dressed in black trailed behind an open casket depicting mother nature. The red rebels are always a spectacle to behold, with their silent performance activism turning heads and capturing media attention. Hundreds of red rebels flocked from all over Europe to be part of this event, creating a striking sea of vibrant colour. Behind the rebels came the mourners, led by Chris Packham and his stepdaughter Megan McCubbin, who were wearing beautifully designed jet black hats, decorated with wildlife and skulls.

The aim of the staged funeral was to draw attention to the alarming rates of biodiversity loss that we are seeing globally, and locally here in the UK. The UK is one of the most wildlife depleted countries in the world, with one in six species threatened with extinction. Globally, it is estimated that about 1 million species are at risk of going extinct. This event was meant to be a wake-up call, instilling both shock and inspiration. Chris Packham said “I guess we are here to say to people: do you really want to wait until you’re attending the real funeral for nature, because it’s coming fast.”

We are in the midst of a sixth mass extinction, with unprecedented levels of species loss. It is estimated that extinction rates are hundreds, if not thousands of times higher than baseline levels. The cause of this extinction: humans. This is the first time in Earth’s history that a mass extinction has been caused by a single species, and not by a natural phenomenon. The main drivers of this extinction include unsustainable use of resources, land, water, and energy, all of which are accelerating extreme climatic changes and global warming.

Unlike other marches and protests, this one had no lively music, no banners, no chanting. The atmosphere was chilling and serious, and it could be felt by all who attended. For those of you who know Bath, there’s an area called the circus, aptly named for the circle shape that the houses create around a central green. As the procession approached the circus, the slow, purposeful drum beats of the funeral band reverberated off the circular wall, bouncing back with goosebump-inducing echoes. The casket of mother nature was placed in the centre of the green by the pallbearers, while the red rebels encircled the entire area, followed in tow by the mourners. The effect it created was astounding, with onlookers becoming completed engulfed and encircled by the drum beats, and the wall of red and black.

This funeral was staged, but for many species, habitats and ecosystems, this loss is or will become a reality. The actions we, as humanity, take in the next decade will be crucial for preventing a mass funeral for mother nature as we know it.

We can come together and drive change.

We can join forces to create a brighter, healthier future for us and the planet we call home.

“Individually, we are one drop. Together we are an ocean.”

Ryunosuke Satoro

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