The Landscapes Review of 2019 gave a direct challenge: ‘Our national landscapes should be alive for people, places where everyone is actively welcomed in and there are unrivalled opportunities to enjoy their natural beauty and all it offers: landscapes for all’.

Everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy time in nature, but for many people it can feel out of reach. From feeling unsafe outdoors because of your faith or race, to being unable to get out in landscapes because of physical disabilities, through to not knowing about these incredible places or how to access them because they are not part of your life and social circle. There are innumerable reasons why people don’t spend time in the outdoors and National Landscapes teams are committed to reducing the barriers to access.  

Two thirds of the population of England live within half an hour’s journey time of their nearest National Landscape. Enabling more people to access these places helps to improve health and wellbeing, to support rural livelihoods, to establish feelings of rootedness and to build new and hopefully lifelong connections to nature. UK nature needs all the friends it can get, and the more people feeling connected and taking nature friendly actions, the better for everyone. 

National Landscapes teams have run many projects to open up the outdoors to new audiences and we will continue to develop this work. 

Northumberland Coast National Landscape took part in the Generation Green 2 project welcoming children from some of the UK’s most deprived areas who enjoyed a day on the beach, litterpicking and building sandcastles. 

In Luton, the Nature Calling project coordinated visits from groups from all backgrounds. This work developed into the creation of a Henge which has now been adopted by the local community who are working together to restore the surrounding chalk grassland, a habitat even rarer than rainforest. 

The Putting Down Routes programme works with partners Black Girls Hike, Wild with Wheels and Diversiti UK to encourage new audiences from under-represented communities to the North Downs Way National Trail and Kent Downs National Landscape as well as upgrading and enhancing parts of the trail so they are more accessible to a wider range of people.

Arnside & Silverdale National Landscape supports weekly Walks for All for people with dementia and brain injuries, giving them and their carers a welcome opportunity to enjoy time in nature as well as supportive company. 

National Landscapes teams have a vision for 2050 where protected landscapes form the backbone of a nature-rich UK, with thriving rural communities and people from all backgrounds who feel connected to nature, enjoying green spaces and taking nature positive actions. It’s ambitious, but National Landscapes teams have a strong record of delivery and are ready to scale and spread their work.