Look Wild: ReNature success in South Downs National Park
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Date posted: 27/07/2023
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Time to read: 10 minutes
Two years ago the South Downs National Park launched an ambitious initiative called ReNature. The mission was to create nature everywhere, for everyone, and establish new wildlife havens and improve existing wildlife habitats. Fast forward to present day and some major achievements have been made.
More than £5m has been raised for nature recovery and the National Park is working on over 368 active nature recovery projects with its partners.
The initiative has already helped to create over 400 hectares of new wildlife habitat – or almost 1,000 football pitches – such as new ponds, grasslands and wildflower meadows, to help nature flourish.
In addition to newly-created wildlife havens, 4,312 hectares of existing habitat has been improved for nature – an area bigger than the city of Portsmouth. This work includes planting over 16,383 trees in the last year and creating or restoring 14 ponds which provide crucial habitat for so many of our species.
There are big plans for the future, with an additional 1,200 hectares already having been put forward for future habitat creation or secured via a ReNature Credits Scheme, and the National Park working on over 368 active nature recovery projects with its partners.
ReNature launched exactly two years ago with two primary goals:
- Increase the amount of land that is primarily managed for nature in the National Park from the current 25 per cent to 33 per cent – creating 13,000 hectares of new habitat. This goes beyond current UN-backed conservation targets of 30 per cent by 2030 (30 for 30).
- Ensure that the remaining 67 per cent of the National Park is nature-friendly by 2030 through improving existing habitats across farms, woods, rivers, towns and villages.
This month the National Park will be celebrating the ReNature initiative with a week-long festival full of guided walks, a competition and online nature-based films, running from 22 July to 30 July.
Jan Knowlson, Biodiversity Officer for the National Park, said: “We have some amazing biodiversity in the National Park, including a huge variety of butterflies, birds, reptiles and amphibians. But even here in the South Downs, nature is struggling and needs our help.
“We’re really pleased to have created this new wildlife habitat that will allow nature to start bouncing back over the coming years.
“Nature recovery takes time and this is just the start of the habitat creation and improvement we can achieve.
“Nature recovery in the South Downs National Park will not be one big ‘rewilding’ project – it will be achieved through lots of different projects, both large and small, that together create wildlife recovery. Ultimately, we want nature everywhere for everyone.”
During the ReNature festival, the National Park will be inviting the public to help nature by taking a pledge to Take Action for Nature and Climate. The pledges includes seven easy things that anyone can do such as making a home for nature, buying local, and recycling. People simply need to fill in the pledge form online before 1 September and they will be entered into a prize draw for a year’s membership to The Wildlife Trusts or a family ticket to Marwell Zoo. Visit www.southdowns.gov.uk/pledge/
Anyone visiting the National Park’s visitor centres in Midhurst or at Seven Sisters Country Park will also be able to pick up a “Pledge and Plant” postcard that is crammed with wildflower seeds. They can simply tick off the pledges as they go and then plant the postcard in the ground and watch the flowers grow!
Among the highlights of the ReNature festival will be a guided walk at Waterhall, a former golf course near Brighton where rare chalk grassland is being restored for wildlife, as well as activities for young people to get involved in conservation tasks and a butterfly walk with top expert Neil Hulme. To see the full programme of events and online activities visit www.southdowns.gov.uk/renature-festival-2023/
Jan added: “There’s something for all ages and interests and we hope the festival inspires people to take action for nature.”
The ReNature initiative is being led by the National Park Authority in partnership with the South Downs National Park Trust, the official charity for the National Park. Significant funding has been generated through donations and grants from the public and private sector, as well as National Lottery funding.
The National Park Authority held a “Call for Nature Sites” in 2021 and dozens of landowners came forward with possible sites for new habitat creation. Many are now being progressed for habitat creation over the next few years, including farms, quarries, school grounds, road verges and even golf courses.
15 National Parks. One shared challenge. Our climate is changing, and with it comes an increased risk of wildfire across our landscapes.
That’s why we’ve committed to taking action through our new Wildfire Management Position Statement. Together, the National Parks will work to support nature recovery to help manage wildfire risk, plan for and strengthen wildfire response and coordination, improve risk management and preparedness, and share clear, consistent public messaging.
But we can’t do it alone.
Communities, organisations, land managers and visitors all have a role to play in reducing wildfire risk. By working together, we can help protect our National Parks and prepare for a future where hotter, drier weather may increase the risk of wildfire.
Read the full statement by clicking on the link in our bio 🔗
Photos:
Slide 1 - Fighting the Glenmore wildfire, © Ed Smith. Slide 2 - Fighting the Glenmore wildfire, © Malcolm Smith. Slide 3 - View across Loch Morlich during Glenmore wildfire, July 2026, © Brenna Jessie. Slide 4 - Fighting the Glenmore wildfire, © Malcolm Smith. Slide 5 - View from the cab of a tractor aiding in fighting the wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park, CPNA. Slide 5 - Firefighting vehicles at the Glenmore wildfire, © Malcolm Smith.
#Wildfires #NationalParksUK
It’s not every day you get to see one of our National Parks in biscuit form on @britishbakeoff!
Last night, The Great British Bake Off contestant @itsdoctoryan created a beautiful biscuit mosaic inspired by the Broads National Park, perfectly capturing the view at St Benet’s Mill, Thurne.
And it wasn’t just a feast for the eyes as the mosaic was made using treacle and ginger, honey and lemon, cocoa and malted milk, and pistachio biscuits.
Two great things combined: a beautiful National Park view and delicious biscuits. What could be better than that? 💚
Photo: Channel 4
#GBBO #BakeOff #NorfolkBroads @broadsnationalpark
You’ve likely heard of one - but what does it actually do?
Our 15 Parks wouldn’t be able to function without the authorities working behind the scenes to keep them running.
And each authority relies on people. People within the community, volunteers, staff and members. People that run businesses, or partner as organisations. People that are skilled and knowledgeable in a variety of areas from wildlife to accessibility.
Our National Parks are full of people and action, and it’s the Authorities that bring them all together.
💚
#NationalParksUK #NationalParkAuthorities
The Yorkshire Dales has one of the highest concentrations of caves and caverns of any of our 15 National Parks - a whole landscape hiding beneath the ground.
Our National Parks don’t just protect and preserve the landscapes we see every day. They also help care for historic and unique places discovered by our ancestors, like Ingleborough Cave and Gaping Gill, both of which were shrouded in myth and legend until they were explored by Victorians in the 1800s.
There’s so much more to our National Parks than meets the eye and sometimes, quite literally beneath the surface 👀
#YorkshireDales #GapingGill #Ingleborough
A week on from National Parks UK’s Big Volunteer Weekend, we’re still celebrating the people who make a difference across our National Parks.
Last weekend, hundreds of people came together across all 15 National Parks to give their time, share their skills and support our landscapes.
But volunteering in our National Parks doesn’t happen just one weekend a year. All year round, volunteers play an incredible variety of roles – from leading guided walks and supporting education, to conservation, planting and caring for our landscapes.
Every volunteer makes a valuable contribution to protecting our natural and cultural heritage. We simply couldn’t do what we do without you. 💚
So, to all our volunteers: thank you for your time, energy, enthusiasm and everything you bring to our National Parks.
If you know someone who volunteers in a National Park, help us spread the thanks by sharing this post. 🌿
#Volunteers #NationalParks #NationalParksUK
Mae’r Bele yn un o famaliaid prinnaf Cymru, ond mae eu niferoedd yn tyfu yn raddol. Mae hynny’n newyddion da i’n coetiroedd ac i’r Parciau Cenedlaethol, sy’n darparu rhai o’r cynefinoedd pwysicaf ar gyfer bywyd gwyllt ledled Cymru a Phrydain.
Ym Mannau Brycheiniog, mae’r prosiect adfer wedi gosod blychau nythu yn y coed, ac mae gwaith monitro wedi nodi presenoldeb y Bele, gan gynnwys grwpiau teuluol. Mae’r ffilm arbennig hon yn dangos un ohonynt ar waith. 🐾
Mae’n atgof hyfryd o’r hyn sy’n bosibl pan ddaw coetiroedd iach a gwaith cadwraeth arbenigol at ei gilydd i roi’r gofod sydd ei angen ar rywogaethau prin i wella.
Pine Martens are one of Wales’ rarest mammals, but they’re slowly making a comeback. That’s good news for our woodlands, and for National Parks, which provide some of the most important habitats for wildlife across Wales and Britain.
In Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons), the recovery project has installed treetop den boxes, with monitoring identifying pine martens, including family groups. This special footage shows one in action. 🐾
It’s a lovely reminder of what can happen when healthy woodlands and specialist conservation work come together to give rare species the space they need to recover.
#BreconBeacons #BannauBrycheiniog #PineMartins #Wales
It’s the Autumn Equinox 🍂
Our National Parks are always changing in time with the rhythm of nature, but this becomes particularly noticeable when autumn arrives.
Deer begin to rut, spiders’ cobwebs glisten in the fresh light, fungi become more prominent, and leaves begin to change colour.
What changes have you noticed so far? 🧡
#Autumn #AutumnEquinox #NationalParks
“You look after the National Park not for yourself, but for people who are coming, the ones who are following you.”
These are the words of Ron Wood, who has been volunteering for the Lake District National Park for over 60 years. His story reflects the vital role volunteering plays across our National Parks: keeping them thriving, communities invested, and people connected to and caring for our landscapes.
Over the decades, Ron’s incredible journey has seen him remain steadfast in his commitment through droughts, hand, foot and mouth disease, and the ever-changing rhythms of nature. Through it all, one thing has remained constant: his dedication to looking after the environment for those who come after him.
You can read Ron`s full story by clicking the link in our bio or learn more about volunteering at nationalparks.uk/volunteering 🔗
📸Photos by @lakedistrictnpa
#LakeDistrict #Volunteering #NationalParks
