Nature is our oldest form of heritage. Looking after nature and helping people to understand its importance has never been more important.
The need to aid nature’s recovery is urgent. That is why funding landscapes and nature is one of our key strategic funding priorities until 2024.
We expect all the projects we support to do their best to:
- reduce nature’s loss
- maintain the beauty and quality of our urban and rural landscapes
- help people to reconnect with wildlife
New environmental sustainability guidance
In May 2020 we updated our environmental sustainability guidance to help all our projects make a difference for nature.
Everyone must now do their bit for nature
Even if your project is not solely focused on landscapes or nature, we now expect all projects to improve their environmental sustainability and particularly to create positive benefits for nature.
This could include:
- creating new bat roosts or nesting boxes
- including green roofs and permeable hard surfaces
- providing ponds and swales for natural drainage
- creating wildflower areas rather than close-mown grass
- increasing tree planting and native hedgerows
- using native and bee-friendly plants
- not using peat
What we have funded so far
Thanks to National Lottery players, since 1994 we have invested £1.6billion in landscapes and nature, including more than £950m in public parks and cemeteries.
This includes:
- regenerating over 900 historic public parks and cemeteries
- creating and improving important habitats such as orchards and peat bogs
- helping people to understand and value our seas
- promoting green volunteering, learning and citizen science
- helping threatened species to thrive again
- helping people to use landscapes and nature to learn, thrive and stay healthy
