Nature Recovery Networks

What is a Nature Recovery Network?

A Nature Recovery Network (NRN) is a vision for a joined-up natural world; where wild places across the Country are connected to give nature room to thrive, on land and at sea. It acknowledges that plants, animals, seeds, nutrients and water need to move from place to place and it enables the natural world to adapt to change, including climate change. It gives plants and animals more places to live, feed, find refuge and breed, in wilder spaces where species and habitats are acknowledged for the role they play in human wellbeing.

Nature conservation in the last century succeeded in protecting some vital wildlife sites, but still wildlife has declined. The UK is in the midst of a major, human induced wildlife extinction period, exacerbated by the climate crisis and we need to act fast. In order to see nature recovery at scale, wildlife recovery cannot be confined to nature reserves or legally protected sites.

The recovery of nature at scale is crucial, not just in and of itself, but it is also for supporting the needs of human society. Our wild and natural spaces provide us with a wealth of natural services – from pollination to natural flood storage. Our planetary resources are exhausted. We need to help nature to support us.

To achieve a Nature Recovery Network, we need to provide effective protection for the many other places in the landscape that are rich in wildlife despite the many pressures they face. And we must invest time, effort, commitment and money into bringing wildlife potential back across a far wider area.

Creating Nature Recovery Network that extends into every part of our towns, cities and countryside, bringing wildlife and the benefits of a healthy natural world into every part of life. Letting flowers bloom along road verges, installing green roofs across city skylines, planting more street trees to give people shady walks in the summer, encouraging whole communities to garden for wild plants and animals - it's time to stitch back together Britain’s tattered natural fabric of wild land. In doing so, we'll not only help nature recover, but enable even people to experience the wonders of our natural world and human wellbeing to thrive.

Download a guide to Nature Recovery Networks here

How is Sussex Wildlife Trust supporting healthier Nature Recovery Networks?

Sussex Wildlife Trust supports the UK Governments commitment through their 25 year Environment Plan to Creating an NRN by embedding Local Nature Recovery Strategies in the planning process.

Sussex Wildlife Trust also believes that an NRN is so intrinsically valuable, and so crucial to human wellbeing that it is our duty to expand on this LNRS work by ensuring that a Local Nature Recovery Network is delivered which restores nature and natural capital at scale. Local Nature Recovery Strategies are an important step towards considering land use planning across large landscapes. However their implementation is not yet obligatory or supported by resources.

Sussex Wildlife Trust hosts and funds a number of key projects which are actively creating and restoring links in our Nature Recovery Network. Find out more about the work we already do to create a thriving NRN:

Wilder Ouse
Wilder Horsham District
Sussex Kelp Recovery Project
Sussex Local Nature Partnership
Nextdoor Nature
Defending Nature
Gatwick Greenspace

What are Local Nature Recovery Strategies?

In response to the urgent need for ‘Bigger, better, and more joined up’ nature, UK Government passed legislation which tasks relevant local authorities with identifying a Nature Recovery Network. Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) will identify what, where and how wildlife-rich habitats should be improved, restored or created at the local scale for the benefit of nature and people. The LNRS are embedded in the Local Planning process.

They will be prepared through a process that brings local people, communities and organisations together to identify priorities and opportunities for nature’s recovery locally. Once prepared, LNRSs will be used to help guide effort and resources locally to improve, expand and better connect habitats for nature across our countryside, coastline, towns and villages.

Two strategies will be prepared for Sussex by West Sussex County Council and East Sussex County Council, who have committed to working closely together on the production of these new documents to ensure that we have a joined up approach across Sussex.

Sussex Local Nature Partnership is working closely with Councils to help guide this joined up approach.