Where the wild things are really wanted

POLLS show 83% of Britons want to see much wilder national parks. Government action to make this happen would allow the parks to do far more to tackle the nature and climate emergencies, while offering fresh opportunities for local communities and economies.

Some parts of our national parks are beautiful and wildlife-rich. But despite many superb conservation initiatives, national parks as a whole are ecological shadows of what they could be, with key native species often missing or declining.

In England’s national parks, three-quarters of nature reserves are in a poor condition. There is less woodland cover in the Yorkshire Dales than London, less in the Peak District than Leeds, and less in the Lake District than Sheffield.

Rewilding – large-scale nature restoration – offers hope. There is huge scope for more locally led initiatives to restore native woodlands, moorlands, peatlands, wetlands, rivers and marine habitats, without losing productive farmland or farming heritage.

Inspiring rewilding initiatives in the national parks include Wild Haweswater and Wild Ennerdale in the Lake District, Ingleborough National Nature Reserve in the Yorkshire Dales, and the Wild Peak initiative in the Peak District.

Yet despite the 2019 independent Glover Review into England’s national parks recommending setting up Wilder Areas, ministers have yet to act.

Rewilding Britain is urging the UK government to rewild 10% of our national parks, with nature recovery areas across another 50%. Without this, the Prime Minister’s pledge to protect 30% of Britain for nature by 2030 simply isn’t credible.

I would like to ask your readers to sign our public petition calling for the Government to create wilder national parks at bitly.com/ WNPpetition.

Rebecca Wrigley Chief Executive, Rewilding Britain