Wild about the Parks

Nature experts gathered today in the South Downs to look at how nature and wildlife could be given a boost in National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The Campaign for National Parks joined forces with the Sussex Wildlife Trust to bring together a range of people from across southern England to explore the challenges and opportunities arising from the government’s new policies on the natural environment.

The overwhelming message to emerge from the day was that we are at a turning point – the government is committed to improving nature and to providing some resource for this. But this opportunity must be grasped, so that future generations can experience the wildlife riches that belong in our most spectacular landscapes.

Baroness Andrews, Vice President of the Campaign for National Parks and Chair of English Heritage, said she was personally very committed to making the South Downs National Park a success. But she added “We need a much more systematic, visible and articulate account of what is possible on biodiversity”.

Christine Reid, from the Campaign for National Parks, said “We must focus on the unique selling points of National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty – their huge potential for recovery and restoration at a large scale and their strong partnerships that can deliver this agenda”.

Robin Mortimer, Defra Director for Wildlife, Landscape and Rural, spoke of the government’s commitment to the natural environment and said “The time has come for biodiversity to be given more attention and priority across the family of protected landscapes“.

Sebastian Anstruther, member of the South Downs National Park Authority but who spoke as a private land owner at this event, emphasised the importance of rewarding land managers for delivering biodiversity and enhanced nature networks. He explained that “Land managers are looking to the long term and how they can pass the land on to future generations. There is a tremendous opportunity to work with the private sector, which has fantastic knowledge, resource and passion that can help to deliver more for nature”.

Andrew Lee, Director of Strategy at the South Downs National Park Authority, said “We are grappling with these challenges in our work on preparing the National Park Management Plan – finding ways to rebuild nature that also benefit communities and the economy within and around the National Park”.

For further details contact:
Christine Reid on 07970 636 920 or Ruth Chambers on 07971 102 156

Notes to editors
The Campaign for National Parks is the independent charity that inspires people to look after and enjoy National Parks. 2011 is the charity’s 75th anniversary.
For more details on this work please see our joint ambition Think big: ecological recovery in protected landscapes