NATURE RECOVERY
Nature recovery is the process of restoring, enhancing, and connecting natural habitats to boost biodiversity, enhance ecosystem health, and build climate resilience. It goes beyond simply protecting what exists, to actively create and improve habitats across urban and rural landscapes.
Key elements of nature recovery include:
- Habitat Creation and Restoration: Including creating wetlands, restoring peatlands, planting trees, and managing grasslands to support wildlife.
- Connectivity: Linking fragmented habitats by creating wildlife corridors and stepping stones to help species move and adapt.
- Ecosystem Health: Enhancing ecosystem resilience to climate change and other environmental pressures.
- Nature-Based Solutions: Using natural systems to address challenges like flooding, carbon storage, and water quality and availability.
- Community Involvement: Relying on landowners, farmers, communities, and other organisations working together.
Nature recovery is being addressed nationally by:
- Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs): Spatial plans developed across England to guide habitat restoration and form Local Nature Recovery Networks. Learn more about our LNRS
- Nature Recovery Networks (NRNs): Nationwide networks linking wildlife-rich areas. Natural Cambridgeshire’s Priority Landscapes and the Cambridge Nature Network are local examples.
- Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMs): Fund and support farmers and other land managers to create and care for habitats. In Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, 75% of nature gains are expected to come from farmed land.
The Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough sets out the priorities and actions for nature across our area. As co-chair of the Steering Group that developed the strategy, Natural Cambridgeshire is invested in ensuring that it is implementable, and that it delivers for nature and communities. We also recognise the significant contribution that our farming community can make to nature restoration, creating corridors for nature across the countryside.
Nature recovery is about working together with nature to build a thriving, sustainable future. A future in which we all have a role to play.
Find out more about the priorities and actions for nature restoration across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy here.