Nature restoring project for Northumberland supported by Reece Foundation unveiled

5th October 2023

A new project that puts nature first whilst aiming to restore one of the most iconic landscapes in the UK, has been unveiled at The Sill. The “Hadrian’s Wall Recovering Nature” supported by the Reece Foundation is the culmination of over two years of research and partnership work.

Key objectives of the project include:

  • Expanding habitats – restoring a fully functioning and self-regulating wetland habitat
    centred on Greenlee Lough National Nature Reserve.
  • Wildlife flourishing – creating conditions for wildlife including red squirrel, otter and curlew to thrive and prosper.
  • Innovative land management – pioneering ingenious land management practices which local farmers and landowners can lead to achieve visible results.

The project will actively restore and rewet deep peat habitats to enhance carbon sequestration and will work closely with neighbouring landowners, including upland hill farmers, to prioritise nature-first land management practices.

Anne Reece, Chair of the Reece Foundation, said: “The Reece Foundation is proud to support this visionary project. By bringing together experts, landowners, and the community, we are investing in a brighter, more sustainable future for Northumberland’s natural heritage and addressing some of the nation’s biggest challenges around nature recovery, biodiversity loss, and health and wellbeing. There is no blueprint for nature recovery. We hope this project will expand our knowledge, including the economics of nature recovery whilst engaging and inspiring people to learn and take action that will help to prepare for and mitigate the impact of climate change.”

The project sits within the Frontiers of the Roman Empire UNESCO World Heritage Site on Hadrian’s Wall and is led by Northumberland National Park Authority.

Tony Gates, Chief Executive Officer, Northumberland National Park Authority said: “National Parks can help lead the way in nature recovery at a national level. Hadrian’s Wall: Recovering Nature aims to put nature first within Northumberland National Park by restoring and expanding wetland habitats, enabling wildlife to flourish, allowing currently missing species to return, and doing all of this whilst allowing people to engage hands on with nature recovery.”

The ambitious initiative signals a transformative shift towards a nature-first approach to land management, setting a new benchmark for conservation practices within the Harian’s Wall landscape and providing opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to see at first hand and get hands on with recovering nature in the face of a worldwide nature crisis.

Technology will play a pivotal role in monitoring nature recovery, with tools such as digital mapping and automatic water sampling to provide essential data which will be displayed at The Sill so that the public can see the condition of nature in real time with a live window into the world of nature recovery.

For more information about the project watch the video or visit the NNP website

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