National Parks: W England’s Wildlife Wonders · National Parks; and they provide a summer or winter home for 86% of England’s threatened bird species. meadows challenging farmland,

The

N

National Parks:England’s Wildlife Wonders

W

National Parks England is a not for profit company limited by guarantee,number 6521048, registered in England.

PHOTO CREDITS:

Dartmoor NPA; North York Moors NPA;New Forest NPA;NorthumberlandNPA/Shaun Hackett;Lake DistrictNPA/Michael Turner;VisitEngland; Natural England/PeterWakely; Nigel Stone;Eivind Kvamm-Lichtenfeld; Martin Cathrae

N

The

N

National Parks England, 5th Floor, Local Government House, Smith Square, London SW1P 3HZ Tel: 020 7072 7421

www.nationalparksengland.org.uk

@natparksengland

NEXT PREVIOUSEXIT HOME

The

N

SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY

FEN RAFT SPIDER ALPINE CATCHFLY

SAND LIZARD

BLUE GROUND BEETLE

LADY’S SLIPPER ORCHID FRESHWATER PEARL MUSSEL

ARCTIC CHARR

PARROT WAXCAP RED SQUIRREL

HONEY BUZZARD

PINE MARTEN

National Parks contain over a quarter ofthe Sites of Special Scientific Interest(SSSI) in England, by area. Yet over 70% ofagriculturally poor land and 80% ofwoodland in National Parks is notdesignated as SSSI. This means it relies onNational Park status, and the work of theNational Park Authorities and theirpartners, to maintain and protect its value.National Parks therefore provide valuablespace for nature on a large scale, allowingspecies to spread and move through thewider landscape and adapt to pressuressuch as climate change.

National Park designation brings with itspecial protection for wildlife. For instance,the National Planning Policy Frameworksays that “great weight” should beattached to conservation of wildlife acrossthe whole of our National Parks. TheNational Parks Circular expects NationalPark Management Plans to “maintain,restore or add to networks of naturalhabitats”. The National Parks’ own planningpolicies provide strong protection forwildlife and support developments thatenhance the natural environment. AllNational Parks employ highly trainedexperts to inform planning decisions, aswell as co-ordinating a wide range ofprojects with partners and communities.

National Parks also provide the setting formillions of individual interactions betweenpeople and nature every year. They areplaces where people of all ages canexplore beautiful habitats and discover thewonderful creatures that make a home inthem, capturing hearts and inspiringimaginations. The National Parks arepowerful assets for education and accessto nature, providing life-changingexperiences and opportunities to getinvolved in conservation.

National Parks are some of the biggest andbest places that we have for wildlife inEngland. To secure this value for the future,continued protection is needed across thewhole of the National Parks. National ParkAuthorities work with agriculture,commercial forestry, shooting, housing andindustrial development interests to ensurecontinued room is made for the specialwildlife that flourishes there. The NationalParks need resources to expand and joinup habitats, providing even more placeswhere nature can thrive. We must makethe most of these brilliant assets, fulfillingtheir potential to educate and inspirecurrent and future generations.

N

Where protection is stronger...

NEXTEXIT HOME PREVIOUS

Where the specialis typical... a

The Broads supports 11,000species of which over 1,500 arepriorities for conservation.

The Broads Authority has speciallightweight vehicles to managewetland areas on a large scale forspecies such as the swallowtailbutterfly.

The two cleanest rivers in England are sourced in Northumberland.

A survey organised by the National Park Authority foundthe most important site in England for rare grasslandwaxcap fungi.

The Lake District is the English stronghold formontane heath wildlife.

The Arctic Alpine project, jointly led by the National ParkAuthority, studies and protects this special habitat.

The North York Moors has the largestuninterrupted area of heather moorland in England.

The National Park Authority’s Farm Scheme spent£7 million over 25 years on funding farmers tocarry out conservation work.

The Yorkshire Dales has the country’s most extensiverange of limestone specialist species.

The National Park Authority’s ambitious native woodlandprogramme has already seen over 700 ha planted.

Over 16 million people live within 40miles of the Peak District.

650 ha of clough woodland has beencreated through projects supportedby the National Park Authority overthe last 3 years.

Exmoor supports 16 of the 17species of British bat.

The National Park Authority is partof the Exmoor Knotweed ControlProject, safeguarding habitatsincluding rivers and meadows bytreating invasive knotweeds on over1,000 sites.

Dartmoor has the southernmost blanket bogs in Europe.

Thanks to recent blanket bog restoration works co-ordinated by the National Park Authority, breedingdunlin have increased by 37%.

The New Forest has the most extensive area of lowland heathremaining in Europe.

The National Park Authority has surveyed over 20,000ha ofhabitat for heathland birds and breeding waders.

There are over 850 LocalWildlife Sites in the South Downs.

The Nature ImprovementArea led by the NationalPark Authority has restorednearly 1,000ha of chalkgrassland since 2012.

They

c

NEXTEXIT HOME PREVIOUS

into almost10% of Englandare a wide variety ofhomes for nature,

from 27% ofEngland’s lowlandfens

National Parks holdover 80% of theupland chalkgrassland

and over 1/3 ofthe lowland

They contain 60%of the country’supland heath,

and 15% of ourirreplaceableancient woodland

One third ofthe Public ForestEstate is within theNational Parks, andalmost 40% ofland in Englandrecognised as beingof internationalimportance forwildlife is inNational Parks.

All 14 of ourreptile andamphibian species

priority butterflyspecies, 91%can be found inNational Parks; andthey provide asummer or winterhome for more than

00% Orchidsicon and text to beadded)(Orchidsicon and text to dsicon and text to beadd d)

ey

ain over half

of England’s most

challenging land

to farm, where

as are 80%

of priorityorchidspecies.

Of our prioritybutterflyspecies,

87% can befound inNational Parks;

and theyprovide asummer orwinter home for

86%of England’sthreatenedbird species.

All 14 ofour reptile andamphibianspecies and

90% ofresidentdragonflyspecies.

100% ofEngland’sresident batspecies arefound inNational Parks,

England’s National

Parks cover

almost one tenth

of England and are

the remotest and

wildest places of

their type still

remaining. They

contain over half

of England’s most

challenging

farmland, where

traditional

practices mean

that wildlife has

flourished.

Where 10% holds so much more…and over 1/3of the lowlandheathland.

They contain60% of thecountry’supland heath,

and 15% ofour magicalandirreplaceableancientwoodland.

One third of England’s PublicForest Estate is within the NationalParks, and almost 30% of land inEngland recognised as being ofinternational importance for wildlifeis in National Parks.

The National Parks are havens for native plants and animals,harbouring

Packed intoalmost 10% ofEngland are awide variety ofhabitats from

27% ofEngland’slowland fens

to 41% ofour upland haymeadows.

National Parkshold 80% ofthe uplandchalkgrassland

NEXTEXIT HOME PREVIOUS