Nature is a crucial part of our lives. We need it to produce the food we eat, clean the air we breathe and the water we drink, and help us feel less stressed and anxious in our fast-paced, modern environment. It is everyone’s responsibility to do their bit to help recover and maintain a healthy natural world.

The State of Nature reports show that wildlife in the UK is in serious trouble, and nature in our National Park is more important than ever. The Landscapes Review (opens new window) states that Protected Landscapes should lead the response to the state of nature, and we hope to do just that by acting on this plan.

Though we celebrate the past and continuing hard work that has led to the Peak District remaining home to some wonderful wildlife, we must acknowledge that we need a step change in action for nature. We need to, and want to, act now.

We believe the aims of this plan are a great start in outlining what we need to do to recover nature at a Peak District scale, and addressing the concerns raised by Campaign for National Parks in its 2018 report ‘Raising the bar: improving nature in our National Parks (opens new window)’ that “the scale of the decline in wildlife is not well articulated in the plans and neither are the strategies for confronting these issues and reversing the decline.”

The real challenge, as always, is achieving action on the ground. We live in a cultural landscape, so people are at the heart of this plan. We need to talk about and overcome the barriers and challenges that stop us or slow us down, providing everyone a myriad of accessible options to do something positive for nature that fits their circumstances and makes a difference.

Sitting at a crossroads both for nature and people, those who live in, work in and visit the Peak District are well placed to join up within and across our respective boundaries. We all need to work together in a space of limited resources to achieve our ambition: ‘The Peak District brimming with wildlife: at the heart of the country and the heart of the nature recovery network. A place for wildlife and people, where nature works for people, and anyone can connect with a resilient, wildlife-rich natural environment.’

The Steering Group, and many others, have generously given their time and guidance in producing this ambitious plan. It’s been a team effort that we will pursue into the future as our changing and developing knowledge and understanding, as well as our changing planet, continue to influence and evolve this plan, and with it, the Peak District National Park.