An environmentalist from Oxfordshire was surprised to find himself described as ‘seriously impressive and sweet’ by star singer Ellie Goulding.

Richard Benwell, from Great Coxwell, was speaking at a demonstration in London on Thursday following the publication of the State of Nature Report charting the decline in the UK’s wildlife when he was videoed by the 36-year-old Love Me Like You Do hit maker.

Oxfordshire Cotswolds resident Goulding posted on ‘X’, previously known as Twitter: “This is awks but can anyone tell me who this is?! He was seriously impressive! And sweet.”

In the video, which had racked up more than a million views in 24 hours, Mr Benwell can be heard telling the crowd: “Finance, development, water, agri-food. These are the sectors that need to start paying in the billions now for nature.”

This morning, Mr Benwell, who runs environmental advocacy group Wildlife and Countryside Link, told the Oxford Mail that he had been ‘quite starstruck’ when he saw Goulding’s comments.

“It’s fantastic to have people like Ellie Goulding as an ambassador for nature and when these people are willing to use the platform of their art to speak up for the future of the planet that’s an amazing thing," he added.

Oxford Mail: Ellie Goulding Picture: Ian West/PA WireEllie Goulding Picture: Ian West/PA Wire (Image: PA Wire)

Published on Thursday (September 28), the State of Nature report charted further declines in the UK’s wildlife.

Backed by the country’s biggest conservation charities and calculated from wildlife data held by 60 organisations, the report concluded that 16 per cent of the 10,008 species assessed by researchers were now at risk of extinction.

Crowds joined a protest in London this week calling for politicians to take action to reverse the declines charted in the report.

Oxford Mail: Richard Benwell, director of Wildlife and Countryside LinkRichard Benwell, director of Wildlife and Countryside Link (Image: Richard Benwell)

Mr Benwell, who in 2019 stood for the Lib Dems in the Wantage parliamentary constituency, said: “We were standing outside Defra [Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs] to raise our voices to government and all political parties to listen to the State of Nature message and give us serious action for nature.”

He told the Oxford Mail that, although individuals could all do their part to help wildlife, ‘ultimately we need to find ways to change the big system in our economy and that is a job for government’.

Thursday's protest was organised in nine days by naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham, together with two other people.

The BBC Springwatch presenter said: “When a report says that 16 per cent of your monitored species are in danger of extinction – one in six – you are in deep trouble."