National Trust reveals plans to create 250,000ha of nature-rich landscapes
National Trust reveals plans to create 250,000ha of nature-rich landscapes: The National Trust has announced plans to create 250,000ha of nature-rich landscapes over the next decade.
These will be both on and off its own land to help reverse the decline of biodiversity in the UK, with strategic land acquisitions such as the recent one it made in Lunt in Sefton.

National Trust reveals plans to create 250,000ha of nature-rich landscapes
It will also work with environmental organisations, farmers, landowners and local communities to achieve the ambitious target. It hopes that this will help to restore peatland and improve the health of enough soil to provide a habitat for one billion earthworms.
An apprenticeship scheme for 130 young people is also being launched in areas such as countryside management, gardening and project management, with the first round of applications opening in May this year.
Volunteering opportunities will be a focus too as the Trust aims to inspire five million more people to care for nature and heritage. This includes a two-year, £4.2m Freshwater Renaissance project to restore a functioning network of biodiverse and climate resilient freshwater habitats.
The announcement forms part of the National Trust’s 10-year strategy as the conservation charity marks its 130th anniversary. Focusing on the climate and nature crisis in the UK, its strategy includes supporting 100 towns and cities to transform and grow green space. A new Nature Towns and Cities programme will launch this summer with founding partners Natural England and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The Trust will also be taking on the management of its first site in Coventry, where it will work in partnership with Historic Coventry Trust to care for Charterhouse. The Grade I-listed, 14th century former monastery – which includes a walled garden, orchard, children’s play area and grassland park – will be developed as a hub for the local community in the city.
A 14th century townhouse in Grantham is also being turned into a community space and cafe. Grantham House will provide free access to five acres of gardens from March.
“Today, nature is declining before our eyes and climate change is threatening homes and habitats on a colossal scale. Meanwhile, millions of people can’t enjoy the benefits that green space and heritage bring,” says director general Hilary McGrady.
“So we will ramp up our work to restore nature, both on our own land and beyond our boundaries. We’ll work to end inequality of access to green space and cultural heritage. And we will inspire millions more people to take action to protect the things we all need to thrive.”
The strategy comes after the Trust’s largest ever consultation, for which 70,000 people shared their views on its work and direction to help shape its plans.
Over the next 10 years, the Trust will develop a partnership with mental health charity Mind and other organisations to help address unequal access to nature and the mental health crisis.
Ambassadors such as classicist Professor Mary Beard and historian David Olusoga will be introduced to raise awareness of the charity.
The National Trust was first founded in the late 19th century to preserve the natural environment amidst industrialisation. It is planning to fundraise more in the next decade than in the previous century, partly by an ‘Adopt a Plot’ initiative to allow people to sponsor a plot of land for nature recovery at a site they choose.
The first six ‘nature super sites’ include Divis and the Black Mountain, Northern Ireland, where a three-year plan to restore up to 133ha of peatland is underway.
“Our charity’s founders were passionate campaigners who recognised the threats to our natural and cultural heritage, and, against the odds, did something about it. That same boldness is needed today. The Trust is uniquely placed to do something about these challenges and it’s why we are setting ourselves these ambitious but much-needed goals,” says McGrady.
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