Nature experts needed on Boards

Published: 8 May 2026

Campaign for National Park’s recent report on modernising National Park Authority governance has once again highlighted the pressing need to increase the level of nature recovery expertise on National Park boards.  

The clear public appetite for nature-rich National Parks is not currently matched by levels of expertise and ambition. In 2019 the Glover Review found that National Park boards were “lacking in people who emphasise the purposes of securing nature and connecting people with these special places”, and further analyses by the RSPB and Campaign for National Park have supported this view. In 2024 the Guardian reported that only 15 members across all of the National Park Authorities in England had professional conservation or ecology expertise.   

We are in a deepening nature and climate emergency. With National Parks covering around 10% of England, including a significant proportion of our most important sites for nature, it is vital that those with power over decision-making in National Park Authorities are equipped to rise to the scale of the challenge. Turning around decades of biodiversity decline requires ambitious and brave leadership, with a willingness to drive and champion positive changes in these landscapes.  

This means safeguarding the rich cultural heritage of these areas while challenging damaging practices which are depleting precious biodiversity, such as moorland burning and overgrazing. Polling on behalf of RSPB has shown that the people want restoring nature to be the number one priority for National Parks and are willing for the way land is managed to change to achieve this and for landscapes to look different as a result. 

Family birdwatching from a gate whilst enjoying special Halloween trail, RSPB Strumpshaw Fen Nature Reserve, Norfolk, October – Phil Barnes (rspb-images.com)

Nature must have a voice in all decisions that are made by National Park boards. While having a specific seat on the Board or an identified nature champion (as recommended in Campaign for National Park’s report) may help to increase the prominence of nature’s voice, all Board members should receive high quality training with a focus on National Park purposes. A grounding in basic ecological literacy, tailored to the particular habitats and species found in their Park, should form part of this.  

Many National Parks already have members who have a personal stake in land management as landowners, farmers and foresters. These members bring important perspectives and connections that are often already enabling positive action for nature. Yet it is also the case that their perspectives may only provide a partial picture, and that we all have a stake in what happens within these landscapes and how it impacts on nature’s ability to thrive and flourish. 

Opening up Board member recruitment in the ways Campaign for National Park suggests will enable NPAs to tap into wider fields of talent both locally and nationally, enabling a bigger pool of passionate and skilled people to play an active role in shaping the National Parks of the future. This will bring potential for innovative thinking and partnerships to achieve nature targets and breathe life back into our landscapes. 

Campaign for National Park’s report reflects the appetite for change both within and outside of existing NP Boards.  Government must now stop dragging its heels and deliver its long-promised reforms to National Park purposes and governance, providing a clear mandate for nature to become the beating heart of National Parks.