Nature Recovery Network
A guided tour of The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside' key Nature Recovery Network initiatives
THIS SITE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
What is a Nature Recovery Network?
A Nature Recovery Network is our vision for a joined-up natural world; where wild places across the country are connected to give nature room to thrive, on land and at sea. It allows plants, animals, seeds, nutrients and water to move from place to place and enables the natural world to adapt to change. It gives plants and animals more places to live, feed and breed.
David Attenborough explains a Nature Recovery Network
To recover, wildlife cannot be confined to nature reserves. We need to create a Nature Recovery Network that extends into every part of our towns, cities and countryside, bringing wildlife and the benefits of a healthy natural world into every part of life. Letting flowers bloom along road verges, installing green roofs across city skylines, planting more street trees to give people shady walks in the summer, encouraging whole communities to garden for wild plants and animals - it's time to stitch back together Britain’s tattered natural fabric of wild land. In doing so, we'll not only help nature recover, but enable even more people to experience the wonders of our natural world.
Fylde Sand Dune Project
Over the past 150 years, more than 80% of the sand dunes in Lancashire have been lost
The Fylde Sand Dunes Project is a partnership between The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside, Fylde Council and Blackpool Council , was exclusively funded by The Environment Agency until 2027. This project works hard to encourage visitors to the dunes in a way which does not further threaten their existence, whilst letting people know all about the amazing wildlife that lives in this special place.
We are also working to improve the dunes as a sea defence feature; increasing their width by encouraging natural dune growth on the foreshore. The dunes act as a natural barrier to the sea at high tide, and release sand during storm conditions to reduce wave action.
With the help of volunteers and the local community, the Dunes Project aims to make the dunes a better place for both wildlife and people.
Fylde Sand Dunes Project Information Video
Related Websites
Great Manchester Wetlands Nature Improvement Area
The Great Manchester Wetlands is a unique and diverse landscape of water, fen, wet grassland, wet woodland and lowland raised bog.
The Great Manchester Wetlands Partnership is restoring an essential network of wetlands, which will enhance biodiversity and greatly improve the health, wellbeing and recreational opportunities of the people living within and around the area.
It is a Nature Improvement Area covering some 48,000 hectares, including the wetlands of Wigan (The Flashes), the peatlands of Chat Moss and Risley Moss to the west and southwest of Manchester, and the Mersey wetlands corridor stretching from Rixton to Warrington.
Sundew a carnivorous plant found in wetland
Partnership lead
The Great Manchester Wetlands project is a partnership between various organisations; including charities, local authorities, statutory organisations, academic institutions, businesses and conservation groups, who are working together to restore this important landscape.
Species Reintroduction
By working together with passionate partners, we're recreating lost or damaged wetland habitats so they can once again support the reintroduction of lost species. Many of our wetland areas were historically drained, degraded or otherwise destroyed, meaning that the specialised plants and animals that lived on them became locally extinct.
Large Heath Butterfly
Thankfully, our wetland restoration work has meant that many of these habitats are now ready to welcome back their lost species.
Bog Bush Cricket
Following the strict IUCN Reintroduction Protocol we are working to reintroduce a number of plant and animal species, many of which have not been seen for over 100 years.
White Faced Darter
Land Manager Group Facilitation (CSFF)
-find some text to go here-
Find out more about The Great Manchester Wetland Nature IMprovement Area by visting our Lancs. Wildlife Trust webpage.
Related Websites
Wigan Greenheart Landscape Recovery Project Areas
This transformative partnership project will deliver major innovative action and is receiving national recognition. It is an exciting opportunity to make a long-term step-change to the wildlife of Wigan by creating, expanding and improving habitats and connecting them across the landscape to achieve the recovery of threatened species; increasing opportunities for access and engagement with wilder nature for local people; using nature-based solutions to counter the impacts of climate change and developing Wigan’s Greenheart.
Wigan Flashes
The scheme will be an exemplar of how to extend multi-benefit, natural capital approaches to demonstrate how the post-industrial landscape can be re-imagined and how nature can be restored at landscape-scale. It will build on the rejuvenation of this landscape from its industrial past and help deliver the local Nature Recovery Network strategy, strengthening the connectivity and functionality of core wildlife sites to realise the full potential of Wigan’s natural heritage. Lancashire Wildlife Trust is the lead partner in this partnership project with Wigan Council, building on previous successful programmes such as Carbon Landscape. The development phase will prepare robust long-term plans for successful achievement of outcomes in the 20-year implementation stage supported by a blended public-private funding approach.
The Carbon Landscape Partnership
Carbon Landscape Partnership was the flagship programme of the Great Manchester Wetlands Partnership . Delivery partners came together to deliver, a £3.2million programme funded by the Heritage Fund (2017 – 2022).
The Carbon Landscape is a variety of wetlands. It is a diverse landscape of water, fen, wet grassland, wet woodland and lowland raised bog with a rich natural environment woven into its industrial heritage. It boasts rare wildlife like willow tits, bitterns, great crested newts, water voles, bog mosses and black-necked grebes.
Wetland restoration at New Moss Wood
The Carbon Landscape is a wilderness among millions of homes in Wigan, Warrington and Salford. The project improved and expanded these precious habitats.
The Carbon Landscape Mid Term Celebration
The project brought together the expertise of 14 partners, led by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund . This was the first project under the Great Manchester Wetlands Partnership.
Flashes of Wigan and Leigh National Nature Reserve with SSSI designation at Ince Moss and Abram Flashes.
Mosslands of Wigan, Salford and Warrington proposed National Nature Reserve including parts of remnant lowland raised bogs with SAC designation at Risley, Holcroft and Bedford and Astley Mosses.
Mersey Wetlands Corridor stretching from where the Irwell meets the Manchester Ship Canal, including Woolston Eyes (SAC), Rixton (SAC) and Paddington Meadows in Warrington.
Related Websites
West Pennines More Nature Partnership
Our original vision that went into the bid application: The West Pennines More Nature Partnership will work in close collaboration with landowners, farm tenants, and local communities to see the habitats of the West Pennine Moors SSSI and beyond restored to favourable condition, meeting national Net Zero targets, increasing the levels of biodiversity and improving the quality of the habitats. The project will create opportunities for people to get directly involved, improve livelihoods and access, and make meaningful change in the area.
Sundew - by Allan Wright
"The West Pennines More Nature Partnership" is an new Landscape Recovery Scheme project that, if successful, will mean LWT will be leading on approximately 8,000ha of restoration across the West Pennine Moors SSSI and beyond. We will be working in partnership with landowners such as United Utilities and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council to see the habitats restored and biodiversity increase, alongside a thriving farming community. The project will run from April 2024 till April 2046."
