Up to 99,000 acres of land in England, from the city’s strips to the wetlands, will focus on supporting wildlife in five major “nature recovery” projects, the government said.
The five landscape-scale projects in the West Midlands, Cambridgeshire, Peak District, Norfolk and Somerset aim to help tackle the loss of wildlife and the climate crisis and improve public access to nature.
They will share an initial £ 2.4 million pot from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Natural England, to work to create new habitats, manage land for nature and carbon storage and increase roads and connect with communities, with more funding provided. from other sources and partners.
Nature recovery programs, which include existing nature reserves and the wider landscape, are expected to span 99,200 hectares (245,000 acres) in total over time, a size equivalent to 219 reserves. current national natural resources.
Work on the projects will range from the conversion of farmland into gypsum meadows to the restoration of “dew ponds” and the sustainable management of wetlands and other lands.
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The projects will also develop plans to work with communities in disadvantaged cities and areas to improve their access to nature, including the creation of new green areas and the improvement of trails and paths.
Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: “These five projects in England are excellent examples of the exciting and large-scale restoration that is critically needed to bring about a major change in the recovery of nature in this country.
“They will significantly contribute to achieving our goal of halting the decline in species abundance by 2030 and our commitment to protect 30% of our land by 2030, which will allow us to leave the environment in a better state than we found it “.
Natural England President Tony Juniper added: “Nature’s recovery can only happen if we act on a scale, and this can only work through partnerships. These five flagship projects will seek to restore species and habitats through collaboration between a wide range of owners and organizations, bringing benefits to wildlife, local economies, climate change adaptation and public welfare. “
The five projects are:
Purple horizons
A scheme that spans up to 10,000 acres on the outskirts of the West Midlands conurbation and focuses on the restoration and connection of fragmented brushlands to create a mosaic of moors, wetlands, forests and meadows. It will connect existing protected areas, work with local homeowners to provide habitat creation and carbon storage, and is developing a plan to connect with communities in disadvantaged areas of Walsall to provide green areas where they will have the greatest benefits for to health.
Somerset Wetlands
A project that spans up to 60,000 acres of Somerset Levels and Moors with the long-term goal of restoring ecological processes in wetlands, wetlands and the coast. Sustainable wetland management will maintain the peat bogs that store carbon, boost green tourism, reduce pollution and improve resilience to floods and droughts. In the first year, the partners will deliver 11 projects working with owners, restaurant habitats and storing carbon.
Cambridge Nature Network
This plan aims to develop accessible and wildlife-rich habitats in and around Cambridge that cover 9,200 acres, making existing natural sites larger, better and more connected. It will include the conversion of farmland into new gypsum meadows, the creation of a new meadow and the establishment of new forests, as well as the planting of trees and the restoration of meadows in the same city.
Wye Valley, Peak District
The project covers 10,000 hectares, including about 1,400 hectares of existing protected areas and priority habitat. In its first year, National Trust, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Peak District National Park Authority and Natural England project partners will focus on restoring dew ponds to support amphibians and insects. Benchmarking surveys will assess habitats and private investment opportunities to boost nature according to standards that require developers to provide “net gains” for biodiversity as part of their schemes, while recovery packages of nature for 500 residents will help them connect with nature.
Wendling Beck, Norfolk
This project near Dereham aims to transform farmland and its river valley into 10,000 hectares by restoring and creating habitats and adopting more sustainable farming practices. An association of local farmers’ projects, the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and the Norfolk County Council green-winged orchids. It is testing a plan for net biodiversity gains credits and also plans to provide permissive access and links to the Norfolk Trail Network.