Re:New Nature

Nature is in crisis and only by urgently combining our expertise and resources can we achieve the vital large-scale revival of the natural world – not just in the New Forest itself but in the wider region and beyond too.

The Re:New Nature part of our Partnership Plan is focused on nature recovery, and highlights the urgent need for action to make sure the National Park’s habitats are more resilient, better managed for wildlife, bigger and more joined up.

Nature recovery portfolio

The joint Partnership Plan has clear nature recovery targets.

We have identified at least 10,000 hectares (actual 9,240ha) – the size of 14,000 football pitches – of habitat that provides opportunity of nature recovery.

This includes:

• 5000ha of existing woodland that could be managed for nature
• 3200ha of heathland, meadow and wet grassland that could be restored
• 1040ha of bog and mire restoration opportunities.

This would need an estimated £24 million to create and maintain for 10 years.

Projects already under way

These include:

• Our £1.3m Species Survival Fund scheme which will see 250 hectares of land for improved for nature across 25 sites – the equivalent of 350 football pitches.
• By the end of March 2025 we will have allocated £600,000 to farmers and landowners to manage their land better for nature through the Farming In Protected Landscapes
• In 2018 we helped the RSPB buy the 1,000 hectare Franchises Lodge nature reserve near Nomansland which is being improved for nature and seeing species returning.
• The central core of the Forest sees £2m a year invested in supporting habitat restoration and commoning through the Verderers of the New Forest Higher Level Stewardship scheme, with ourselves and Forestry England. Work has seen over 20 miles of wetlands restored; heath, grassland and ancient woodlands improved; and wildlife surveys carried out.

The New Forest National Park – a special place for nature

The Re:New Nature Challenge looks at opportunities and resources to put nature front and centre in the New Forest National Park, which is a globally-important site for wildlife.

Mike Clarke, former CEO (now Vice President) of the RSPB and Life Member of Friends of the New Forest, said: ‘The New Forest is one of the most rich and important places for nature in the UK, and we take it for granted.

‘The National Park can be seen as an ark for nature in southern England and has a massive role in being able to enrich a large part of the region. It has around 20,000 animal and plant species – around a third of all those in the UK – in just 300 square kilometres.

‘The natural landscape has survived since the last Ice Age, thanks to the traditional commoning system and the enduring partnership between humans and animals. It can still survive but we have to work together to make an impact collectively.’

Find out more

Read more in the Re:New Nature Challenge document

Look at the Re:New Nature map

Read the launch press release: Call to build a Nature Partnership in the New Forest and beyond – New Forest National Park Authority (newforestnpa.gov.uk)

Join us

Together with Forest partners, we’re calling on people to work together to join us to drive nature recovery in the New Forest and wider area. Get in touch today:

• Email communications@newforestnpa.gov.uk
• Call 01590 646600

Alison Barnes, CEO of the New Forest National Park Authority said: ‘There’s a huge amount of great work already being done to Re:New Nature in the New Forest, including improving wetlands and freshwater habitats, restoring heathlands and delivering grants and advice to farmers and landowners.

‘The idea of the Re:New Nature Challenge is to ask people to redouble their efforts to work together to achieve this in a more collaborative and co-ordinated way, aligning resources, harnessing each other’s work and, crucially, to attract funding into both the public and private sector to secure the New Forest for future generations.’

Andrew Parry Norton, chair of the Commoners Defence Association said: ‘We all share a love of the New Forest. We want the Forest to thrive, we want nature to thrive, and we want commoning to thrive. Once we’ve got that right, then everything around us will fall into place.’