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Image: The National Trust
The National Trust has announced a bold new strategy to combat climate change and biodiversity loss, committing to transform 250,000 hectares of landscapes into thriving habitats for wildlife over the next decade. Covering an area 1.5 times the size of Greater London, the project will involve restoring peatlands, enriching farmland, and enhancing green spaces across the UK.
Building on its success in developing 25,000 hectares of priority habitats, such as flower meadows and woodlands, over the past decade, the charity is scaling its efforts tenfold. The initiative will go beyond traditional conservation areas, focusing on farmland managed in nature-friendly ways and connecting fragmented landscapes to boost wildlife recovery. The plan emerged after consultations with 70,000 members, volunteers, and industry partners, ensuring that it addresses environmental needs and challenges like unequal access to nature and cultural heritage preservation.
A significant part of the strategy includes expanding urban green spaces in 100 towns and cities, making nature more accessible to communities. Individuals will have the opportunity to sponsor plots of land at "nature super sites," including Divis and the Black Mountain in Northern Ireland and Wallington in Northumberland, supporting vital wildlife restoration efforts. The initiative will also promote mental health through a partnership with Mind, focusing on younger people. At the same time, a new BBC natural history series with Hamza Yassin will showcase hidden wildlife treasures.
In addition to conservation, the trust is strengthening its role in historic preservation. It is managing its first site in Coventry, working alongside the Historic Coventry Trust to care for the 14th-century Charterhouse monastery and develop it into a community hub. Another project, the reopening of Grantham House, will feature a community space, café, and gardens with free public access.
To meet the ambitious target of 250,000 hectares, the trust will rely heavily on its own 260,000 hectares of land across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. With 70% of the goal expected to be achieved on its existing estates, the rest will come from strategic land acquisitions and partnerships with private landowners and conservation organizations. One such acquisition is 78 hectares in Sefton, which will be transformed into a network of woodlands and wetlands, opening up more green space for local communities.
The environmental impact of this initiative is expected to be profound. Restored peatlands will serve as carbon sinks, reducing flood risks and improving river quality, while healthier soils will create habitats for countless species, including a billion earthworms. The shift toward nature-rich landscapes will ensure that farming practices evolve to support biodiversity rather than disrupt it.
Harry Bowell, Director of Land and Nature, emphasized that this approach significantly shifts from protecting only the “crown jewels” of nature reserves to integrating farmland and broader landscapes into conservation efforts. His vision aligns with the UK’s pledge to protect 30% of land for nature by 2030, tackling urgent ecological challenges while fostering long-term environmental resilience.
He said: “We need to continue to look after those incredibly precious places as the sanctuaries and places nature might repopulate from, but that’s not enough.
“That’s why we’ve moved to a more general view of nature-rich landscapes and upped the scale.
“We want landscapes which if you’re a spider, butterfly or bird you can move through, we want soils that are really healthy, we want water to be clean, rivers running more naturally in their course across the landscape.
“That will have to be done, at least in part, hand-in-glove with farming, so the kind of farming we want to be advocating for and supporting is nature-friendly farming in various forms.”
Reflecting on the trust’s 130-year legacy, Director-General Hilary McGrady highlighted how the organization has always responded to the crises of its time, from preserving natural environments during industrialization to saving country houses after the world wars. With climate change and nature loss at the forefront, the trust’s latest strategy is a decisive step toward ensuring that the UK’s landscapes remain rich in biodiversity, resilient to climate change, and accessible to all.
Ms McGrady said: “Today, nature is declining before our eyes, and climate change is threatening homes and habitats on a colossal scale.
“Meanwhile, millions of people can’t enjoy the benefits that green space and heritage bring.” She added: “So we will ramp up our work to restore nature, both on our own land and beyond our boundaries.
“We’ll work to end inequality of access to green space and cultural heritage. “And we will inspire millions more people to take action to protect the things we all need to thrive.”
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