National Parks England

In case you missed it, National Parks England boss Jayne Butler gave an interview to Countryfile about the challenges facing our National Parks - and the opportunities to make them better for people and nature. https://lnkd.in/ed8dBZ78 (from 21.38 onwards) Our vision is that National Parks and our wider Protected Landscapes family can be central to addressing many of the challenges we face as a society - driving nature recovery and halting biodiversity loss, building climate resilience and carbon capture, boosting the nation's health and wellbeing. The vision, ideas, and opportunities are all there - we just need the backing and the tools to get to work.

We were delighted to see the Environment Secretary commit to boosting nature recovery in National Parks and National Landscapes on the 75th anniversary of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act yesterday. Earlier in the Autumn, we wrote to the Environment Secretary to ask him to announce a bold new vision for National Parks, putting us on track for a wilder, more nature-rich future. This announcement is a promising start to setting this vision – and to securing a positive future for nature in England’s National Parks – but its promises will only be realised alongside a clear plan to increase core funding for National Parks and for National Landscapes via a multi-year commitment to core funding. However, our funding position is yet to be clarified. We look forward to continuing our conversations with the Environment Secretary and the Nature Minister to secure their full commitment to wilder, greener and more accessible National Parks. https://lnkd.in/exE3jYFw

Created alongside the NHS, National Parks were envisioned through a “people’s charter for the open air" when they were founded 75 years ago. What should they look like in another 75 years time? On this important milestone, England’s National Parks are calling on government to back our plan to become beacons for a sustainable future. Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/e3NXxaJ2

The National Academy for Social Prescribing has published a new report today which makes the case for a new fund that would support community activities, groups and services that benefit people’s health and wellbeing. We were pleased to be one of more than 100 organisations that contributed to development of the report, including charities, NHS organisations and funders.   The proposed 10-year, England-wide fund would bring together contributions from the public, philanthropic and private sectors to provide long-term support for local communities and social prescribing activities.   Long-term funding is vital to ensure that charities and local projects can continue to offer programmes that address loneliness, reduce health inequalities and improve people’s health.   To find out more and read the report, click the link. https://lnkd.in/gii5vRpJ

Why we can’t afford further cuts to England’s National Parks. A recent article in The Guardian lays bare the serious financial peril faced by the bodies that run England’s National Parks if this government proceeds with its current plans. The picture is serious. Over the last 15 years, National Parks have had their funding cut by 40% in real terms. Now, seventy-five years after they were first created by a Labour government, they are faced with at least a further 12% reduction. By further diminishing the effectiveness of National Parks and stymieing their great potential for the future, this false economy would cause irreparable harm to the nation’s health, society, and natural world. Here we explain why. https://lnkd.in/gHbZ-UcR

John Dower might not be a household name, but anyone who has ever enjoyed our National Parks has been influenced by his vision. Dower lived in Malhamdale in the closing years of World War Two. Drawing on the inspiration provided by his Yorkshire Dales surroundings - the craggy limestone landscape, with its woods, wildflower meadows, and longstanding farming heritage - he wrote a report which paved the way for the creation of the first protected landscapes in England in Wales. Yesterday, the 75th anniversary of the National Parks and Countryside Act was marked with the unveiling of a blue plaque to Dower at Malham Youth Hostel, along with an event where a host of speakers reflected on the last seven decades of National Parks - and looked ahead to the next. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/e78Kzaug

As the crucial biodiversity summit of COP16 approaches, we're joining with Campaign for National Parks, National Trust, RSPB and others to demand a new deal for National Parks which which will deliver a nature-rich future. The UK is committed to protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030. But according to the latest estimates, the amount of land in England that is effectively protected for nature has fallen to just 2.93%. Our National Parks cover 10% of our land and are full of beautiful landscapes with huge potential for natural revival. By repairing and protecting carbon-capturing peat bogs, ancient forests, flower-rich grasslands and ecologically vital lakes and rivers, National Parks can kickstart the urgently-needed revival of the nation's biodiversity. In an open letter to environment secretary Steve Reed, we call for the UK to show global leadership by realising a vision for wilder, greener, and more accessible National Parks. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/e7kfESjr

Exciting news! England’s National Parks are helping over 25,000 young people connect with nature through Generation Green 2. From outdoor adventures, nights under the stars, farm visits, and more, this £4.5M project will deliver 41,500 nature-filled experiences thanks to the collaboration of 24 organisations and funding from DEFRA. We're breaking down barriers and giving young people access to the beauty and benefits of nature. Together, we're inspiring a lifelong love for nature and ensuring our National Parks are fit for the future 💚 Read more at https://ow.ly/TcWV50TMzfx #GenerationGreen2 #NatureForAll #OutdoorAdventures

Everyone should be able to feel immersed in wild nature and spend time in beautiful landscapes as a child. But far from everyone gets this opportunity. That's why England’s National Parks are are proud to be playing a leading role in a project which is helping more than 25,000 young people living in the country’s most socially disadvantaged areas connect with nature and rural life. By the end of the project next spring, Generation Green 2 will have delivered more than 41,500 experiences focused on nature connection and outdoor learning to young people who would otherwise be the least likely demographic in the country to spend time in the nation’s most beautiful landscapes. Delivered by a coalition of 24 organisations and funded by Defra, this £4.5 million project aims to help address major inequalities in access to nature by cultivating a wider interest in green spaces among the next generation. All courses are based in protected landscapes such as National Parks, National Landscapes and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). They range from pond-dipping to stargazing; from campfire cooks to mountain hikes; from day trips to week-long residentials. Generation Green 2 supports key recommendations in the 2019 Landscapes Review, addressing the need for a wider range of first-time visitors to engage with protected landscapes to help make them fit for the future. Why is a project like this necessary? Poorer communities and people from ethnic minorities in the UK have the worst access to green spaces. Research has shown that 18% of children living in the most deprived areas never spend time in any kind of natural space. But an extensive body of research shows that people who are more connected with nature are usually happier and more likely to report feeling their lives are worthwhile. Nature connection also leads to more willingness to take action to help our wildlife and the environment. In the context of collapsing biodiversity and the climate crisis, closer relationships with nature are more vital than ever before. This ambitious project is being delivered by the Access Unlimited (AU) Partnership, which includes the YHA (England & Wales), The Outward Bound Trust, Field Studies Council, Girlguiding, Scouts, National Parks England, and the National Landscapes Association. Funding for Generation Green 2 has been provided by Defra as part of its ongoing support of access to nature. Feedback so far has often testified to the value and power of outdoor learning. Amy Armstrong, a teacher at St John Bosco College, Liverpool, said: “It was amazing to see the interaction between different year groups and students that wouldn’t normally talk to each other at school. On this trip they have been smiling, relaxed and willing to chat to each other.” Find out more: https://lnkd.in/egRemd7f

The Guardian has published a searching look at the health of nature in England's National Parks. It features several comments from National Parks England boss Jayne Butler, offering solutions to the problems being diagnosed. Jayne points to the the success of the Farming in Protected Landscapes scheme, which has funded 3,000 nature and access projects with National Parks and National Landscapes since 2021. More than 70,000 hectares of wildlife habitat has been created or restored – about 6% of the area of National Parks – along with 100 miles of new hedgerow and 100,000 trees. "It's been a brilliant prototype,” says Jayne, but the funding is scheduled to stop in March 2025. “We would like to see it become a permanent fixture. For nature recovery, we should be looking at 10-year agreements, not one year." As Jayne says: "We’ve identified a phenomenal amount of potential, but we don’t have the resources... if we can’t protect nature in our National Parks, then where can we?" https://lnkd.in/eqn7HcnQ