Issue - UK nature in crisis
Issue - UK nature in crisis
UK wildflower meadows and grasslands support nature all year round. From pollinators in the spring, butterflies in the summer, fungi in the autumn and birds in the winter. These landscapes also improve air and water quality by capturing and storing pollutants.
Did you know? Up to a fifth of all soil carbon in the UK is locked in grasslands.
But nature in the UK is in freefall. We are one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. Up to 97% of lowland wildflower meadows have been lost in the UK since the 1930s, mainly due to damaging agricultural practises. On top of that, our surviving lowland meadows are isolated and do not have enough protection.
Nature loss is felt across the UK. In the Yorkshire Dales, the Ingleborough landscape is open and breath-taking. But the land is not as wild as it should be. It should be a patchwork of woodland, heather moorland, lichen heathlands and blanket bog, but over the years its rich diversity has been lost.
Solution and results - Bringing back our meadows and uplands
Solution and results - Bringing back our meadows and uplands
WWF-UK works with partners across the UK to protect and restore the amazing nature on our doorstep.
Alongside Air Wick and the Wye and Usk Foundation, we are working to protect and restore wildflower habitats. So far, together we have restored over nine million square feet of wildflower meadows. This was made possible by engaging with communities to explore local knowledge, giving support to meadow-makers and encouraging sensitive land management. Along the Wye and Usk rivers, almost 27 hectares of grassland have also been restored.
Further north in the Yorkshire Dales, WWF-UK is working with partners on the Wild Ingleborough project. Building on decades of work by Natural England and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, the project aims to combat the impacts of the climate crisis and make Ingleborough a haven for nature. We want to restore ancient woodland, hear skylarks sing over limestone grasslands and witness spectacular displays of wildflowers.
We have started bringing nature back by supporting low intensity farming, re-establishing wildlife-friendly habitats, and sharing skills and knowledge.
- 304 hectares of land being restored, the equivalent of over 425 football fields
- Over 5,000 hours given by brilliant volunteers
- 700 people engaged with the project
- Around 85,000 native trees planted
By supporting WWF-UK, you are helping to fund vital work to restore nature here in the UK. Your donation will help us protect, nurture and replenish cherished wildlife and our nation’s threatened land, rivers and seascapes.