Despite our and others’ best efforts to protect and restore wildlife, there is no escaping the fact that the UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. Wildlife habitat is increasingly fragmented and isolated across our landscapes.
In line with internationally agreed targets, we’ve set a goal, of securing more space for nature and are committed to ensuring 30% of land can support nature’s recovery. We are proud of the role our nature reserves play in supporting wildlife but recognise that nature reserves alone are not enough.
Here in Nottinghamshire, reaching our 30% aspiration equates to approximately 65,000 hectares. Given that all the land already in some sort of positive management including nature reserves, parks and open spaces and the public forestry estate adds up to around 18,000 hectares - a further 47,000 hectares must somehow be made wilder. With around 70% of land being farmland, the challenge is clear. To truly make our landscape wilder, we must influence how land is farmed.