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| The Dingy Skipper butterfly is one of the species which may benefit from the Purple Horizons nature recovery project. |
Five landmark nature recovery initiatives launched to protect wildlife and improve public access to nature Over 99,000 hectares of England to be dedicated to supporting wildlife and nature for people to enjoy.
London: Five unique nature recovery projects spanning approximately 100,000
hectares will transform the public’s enjoyment of nature in the West Midlands,
Cambridge shire, the Peak District, Norfolk and Somerset, the government and
Natural England announced today (Thursday 26 May).
These multi-partnership projects will see newly created and
restored wildlife-rich habitats, corridors and stepping-stones which will help
wildlife populations to move and thrive across town and nation.
They will improve the landscape’s resilience to climate
change, providing natural solutions to reduce carbon and manage flood risk.
Equivalent in size to all 219 current National Nature Reserves they will also
allow more people to enjoy and connect with nature on their doorstep.
The Purple Horizons project in Walsall in the West Midlands
alone will enable over 500,000 people to reconnect with nature close to where
they live, in one of England’s most socially deprived places.
Every five projects will also make a significant contribution
towards the national delivery of the international commitment to protect at
least 30% of land and sea by 2030, and will help to achieve the Environment
Act’s legally binding target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030.
Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said, “These five projects
across England are superb examples of exciting, large-scale restoration that is
critically needed to bring about a step change in the recovery of nature in
this country.”
The £2.4m in funding as initial allocation is being provided by Defra and
Natural England, part of funding for the flagship Nature Recovery Network (NRN)
which aims to increase, improve and connect existing wildlife-rich sites and
restore and connect degraded land, turning it into healthy functioning
ecosystems, rich in wildlife and resilient to climate change, which provide us
with clean air, water and healthy ground.