Nature recovery projects to boost wildlife and access to nature

An area larger than the size of Hertfordshire is to be dedicated to rapid nature recovery as six new landscape-scale nature recovery projects are launched by Natural England and the government.

The multi-partner collaborative projects covering 176,000 hectares of land across England, from the Tees Estuary to the South Downs, will create improved and better connected habitats for wildlife and improve public access to nature. The projects will strengthen the national nature reclamation network and showcase nature reclamation on a large scale.

The projects, announced today (July 20), will help manage flood and wildfire risks, improve carbon stores and create diverse habitats for wildlife, such as the endangered warty cricket and the elusive twite.

The nature recovery projects, supported by funding of 7.4 million from Defra and Natural England, are:

• East of Eden, Cumbria Based in the highlands of Cumbria, this project spans 100,000ha, from the fertile farmland of the eastern Valley of Eden to the western slopes of the North Pennines and moorland above. The project will help land managers create habitats for species such as curlew, black grouse and Teesdale violet. Natural flood management techniques will reduce the risk of flooding and improve carbon uptake by re-wetting the peat.

• Lost Wetlands, from Cheshire to Lancashire Covering 5,000ha, the project will recover, restore and re-wet a mosaic of wetland habitats in South Greater Manchester and North Cheshire previously lost to the historical industrialization, urbanization and agricultural intensification of the landscape. A network of wetland habitats will be restored to improve connectivity for wildlife, creating habitats where dragonflies, greater crested newts and water voles can thrive. The project will also engage young people and communities, providing a better connection to wetlands on their doorstep and opportunities to celebrate the region’s natural heritage. This work will help support governments’ commitment to connecting people with nature, with everyone living within 15 minutes of a green space.

• Tees Estuary Recovering Nature, Northumbria Covering over 11,000ha, the TERN project will work with partners to enhance, create and restore coastal, estuarine and terrestrial habitats. Steeped in industrial history, this area is home to a beloved colony of harbor seals and assemblages of perched wading birds and wild birds, including little tern, wintering knot, ringed plover and redhorse. The action will create larger, better-connected habitats that will increase climate resilience and provide a sustainable future for these cherished species. New pedestrian links will also bring the community closer to nature, reinforcing the vision of Teessides as a place for people and nature.

• Heathlands Connections, Surrey The project is working with partners to restore, enhance and connect rare lowland heathland habitat in the western part of the Surrey Hills AONB. It will connect the designated Special Protected Area sites of Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons to the surrounding heathland, covering an area of ​​16,000ha and creating a mosaic landscape rich in habitats for wildlife. The project will find collaborative solutions to challenges such as wildfire risk, habitat degradation and disturbance to ground-nesting birds, including nightjar and Dartford’s warbler. Sustainable travel options for visitors are being developed, such as walking trails with train, bus and cycle connections to Frensham Ponds, allowing local people to connect with nature.

• Bradford and South Pennines, Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire Covering 30,000ha, this partnership will restore and improve the condition of upland peat landscapes in the South Pennines, restoring habitats for moorland birds such as the twite in Endangered. Natural flood management techniques will benefit communities at risk of flooding in the Calder Valley with the creation of interlocking mosaics of wetland habitats. Green corridors will also be created, connecting upland sites to the urban environment and industrial cores and allowing wildlife to move freely. The project will work closely with community groups and the NHS, providing opportunities to connect people in Bradford and West Yorkshire with nature on their doorstep. In conjunction with Bradford City of Culture 2025, the project will encourage sustainable access to nature and highlight the environmental links between the industrial heartlands of West Yorkshire and the moorlands that define them.

• From Seaford to Eastbourne, Sussex and Kent Crossing 12,000ha of the iconic South Downs land and seascape, the project relies on key partnerships with South East Water, local authorities, farmers and fishermen. The project will build on research on the region’s chalk aquifers, which confirms the importance of using healthy chalk grass and chalk heather habitats to provide clean, plentiful water. beneficial species, such as the rare warty cricket. Ambitions extend further to the sea where project partners will seek to boost populations of short-snouted seahorses found near Beachy Head. The project is also exploring how NHS staff working in complex mental health can be trained in nature-based interventions, supporting communities. between Seaford and Eastbourne

Tony Juniper, Chairman of Natural England, said:

These nature reclamation projects will enrich our landscapes for wildlife, build resilience to climate change, capture carbon, and help clean the air and water. They will help restore entire ecosystems, allowing many species of wild animals and plants to spread and thrive. They will also increase the opportunities people have to make the most of the wellness benefits that come with connecting to the natural world.

To tackle the challenges posed by nature loss and climate change, it will be essential to build broad and trusted partnerships. I am pleased that the projects announced today demonstrate a commitment to bold and collaborative landscape-scale action to create a network of nature recovery that is essential to setting nature firmly in the path. of recovery.

Environment Minister Trudy Harrison said:

We want to create accessible, nature-rich places closer to where people live and encourage communities to learn more about the wild landscapes on their doorstep so they can play their part in helping to protect them.

These partnerships will restore the natural world, from cities to the sea, and achieve our goals set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan to create a lasting legacy for people and nature.

Nature Restoration Projects will make a major contribution to the Nature Restoration Network and help deliver on the commitments set out in the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan to halt the decline of nature and support plants and wildlife. flourishing fauna.

This announcement builds on the G7 legacy project in Cornwall and the five nature restoration projects launched in 2022 which improve and connect wildlife-rich sites and restore degraded areas for nature in the West Midlands, the Peak District , Somerset, Norfolk and Cambridge. The new projects extend this historic commitment across the country to include highlands, coastal and marine areas, and will demonstrate how blended public and private financing can support the nature recovery network. The funding will support the 12 projects over the three-year period of the comprehensive spending review.

Improving and connecting existing strongholds for wildlife, creating new habitats and investing in large-scale collaborative nature action will help us deliver on our commitment to protect 30% of our land and seas for nature by 2030, and create a sustainable future for people and the planet.