Living Landscapes is our strategic vision of our landscape that will help us create a resilient and healthy environment. The Wildlife Trusts believe that by connecting areas of land our wildlife will have a greater chance of survival, able to move along ‘climate corridors’ to respond to changes in habitat. Living Landscapes “deliver better ecosystem services such as flood protection, aquifer recharge, soil conservation, nutrient reduction and absorption of carbon dioxide.” Find out more about the value of the ecosystem services that Hertfordshire's Living Landscapes provide here. Furthermore, they provide for people. In an increasingly urbanised world, we can manage our green spaces so that people live, happier, healthier lives.
In order to achieve this vision, Living Landscape project areas are being identified across the UK. These priority target areas are of existing high wildlife interest, where the wildlife value of these core areas can be enhanced through expansion, appropriate planning and community engagement. This approach will address severe fragmentation of habitats and population of species, meet the need for climate change, adapt, re-connect people and communities with their local environment, gain recognition for services to biodiversity and other social and economic issues and provide hope and a positive vision of the future.
There are now over 100 Living Landscape schemes around the UK. These schemes are creating inspirational, accessible landscapes - full of wildlife and rich in opportunities for learning, better health and wellbeing, alongside sustainable economic development.
In Hertfordshire and Middlesex, there are twenty-eight Living Landscape project areas. Please click below to learn more about our four active Living Landscape projects.
Links
Learn more about The Wildlife Trusts' vision of a Living Landscape on the BBC's Springwatch pages.
