Up to 99,000 hectares of land in England, from suburbs to wetlands, will be focused on supporting wildlife in five major nature restoration projects, the government said.
The five landscape projects in the West Midlands, Cambridgeshire, Peak District, Norfolk and Somerset aim to help tackle wildlife loss and the climate crisis and improve public access to nature.
They will share an initial sum of £ 2.4 million from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Natural England to work on new habitats, manage land for nature and carbon storage and increase footpaths and connect with communities, with additional funding expected from other sources and partners.
We hope that nature restoration schemes, which include existing nature reserves and the wider landscape, will cover a total of 99,200 hectares of land (245,000 acres) over time – equivalent in size to all 219 current national nature reserves .
Project work will range from turning agricultural land into chalk pastures to restoring “dewdrops” and sustainable management of wetlands and other lands.
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The projects will also develop plans to work with communities in cities and poor areas to improve their access to nature, including the creation of new green spaces and improved footpaths and paths.
Environment Minister Rebecca Poe said: “These five projects in England are excellent examples of exciting, large-scale restoration, which is essential to bring about a gradual change in the restoration of nature in this country.
They will make a significant contribution to our goal of halting the decline in species abundance by 2030 and our commitment to protecting 30% of our land by 2030, which allows us to leave the environment in a better condition than we found her.
Natural England President Tony Juniper added: “The restoration of nature can only happen if we take large-scale action, and that can only work through partnerships. These five landmark projects will seek to restore species and habitats through collaboration between a wide range of owners and organizations providing benefits to wildlife, local economies, adaptation to climate change and public welfare.
The five projects are:
Purple horizons
A scheme that spans up to 10,000 hectares on the outskirts of the West Midlands agglomeration and focuses on restoring and connecting fragmented wastelands to create a mosaic of wastelands, wetlands, forests and pastures. It will link existing protected areas, work with local landowners to create habitats and conserve carbon, and develop a plan to connect with communities in Walsall’s poor areas to provide green spaces where they will benefit most. health.
Somerset Wetlands
A project covering 60,000 hectares of Somerset plains and moors with the long-term goal of restoring environmental processes in swamps, wetlands and the coast. Sustainable wetland management will support carbon-rich peatlands, stimulate green tourism, reduce pollution and improve resilience to floods and droughts. In the first year, the partners will implement 11 projects working with landowners, habitat restoration and carbon storage.
Cambridge Natural Network
This scheme aims to develop wildlife-rich and accessible habitats in and around Cambridge, covering 9,200 hectares, making existing natural sites bigger, better and more connected. It will include turning agricultural land into new chalk pastures, creating a new meadow and creating new forests, as well as planting trees and restoring meadows in the city itself.
Wye Valley, Peak County
The project covers 10,000 hectares, including nearly 1,400 hectares of existing protected areas and priority habitats. In its first year, project partners National Trust, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Peak District National Park Authority and Natural England will focus on rebuilding dewdrops to maintain amphibians and bugs. Baseline studies will assess habitats and opportunities for private investment in nature promotion under rules that require developers to provide “net benefits” for biodiversity as part of their schemes, while nature restoration packages for 500 residents will help them connect with nature.
Wendling Beck, Norfolk
This project near Dereham aims to transform agricultural land and its river valley into 10,000 hectares by restoring and creating habitats and adopting more sustainable agricultural practices. A project partnership of local farmers, the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and the Norfolk County Council, supported by others, creates and improves pastures, wastelands, forests and wetlands to stimulate wildlife from doves to green winged orchids. He is piloting a net biodiversity credit scheme and also plans to provide permitting access and connections to the Norfolk Trail Network.
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