A detailed blueprint to reverse the decline of nature, support wildlife and expand natural spaces across the region has been officially launched.
The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Nature Recovery Strategy is a new statutory report laying out how nature and wildlife can be restored, enhanced and protected for generations to come.
Developed by Cornwall Council in partnership with the region’s Local Nature Partnership, the Council of the Isles of Scilly and the Isles of Scilly National Landscape partnership, the ambitious strategy is one of the first of its kind in the country.
Its key takeaways are:
• Nature in the region is in trouble and wildlife declines are consistent with national trends
• We have a lot of important and unique wildlife that needs more places to live, and habitats which are bigger, better and joined up
• Our communities and visitors care strongly about nature and recognise that they are part of nature.
Thousands of residents, farmers, businesses and landowners helped shape the plan which details priorities and actions needed for the region to reach the target of 30% of its land and rivers to be well managed for nature by 2030.
The government awarded £14m to councils across England to develop Local Nature Recovery Strategies which are a requirement of the Environment Act 2021.
Cornwall Council and the Council of the Isles of Scilly adopted the strategy in March and are working with regional and national partners to deliver the strategy.
Its goals, which will guide planning decisions and funding, are:
• A thriving Nature Recovery Network of protected, enhanced, created and restored habitats, bursting with wildlife
• Species brought back from the brink, increasing in diversity, ranges and numbers to support a thriving ecosystem
• Nature-based solutions that bring us closer to nature and supports resilient communities and businesses in responding to a changing climate.
• Support farmers and other organisations managing land to make plans and access funding to restore nature.
Lord Teverson, Chair of the Local Nature Partnership said:
“Like the rest of the UK, nature in Cornwall and Scilly is in decline as it faces the many pressures of modern life. That means it’s not enough just to protect what we have. We have to reverse the trend. The answer is to make our countryside and our towns more nature friendly. That is what this strategy is all about.
“No single organisation can respond to this challenge by itself: landowners, farmers, foresters, businesses, environmental organisations, town and parish councils, community groups and individuals are all needed in our great mission to restore and grow nature.
“We now have a well-grounded strategy, available to all, ready to be delivered. And everybody can join in and make their mark by making their-own Pledge for Nature on our Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Nature Partnership’s website."
Councillor Loic Rich, Cornwall Council cabinet member for environment and climate change, said:
"I've seen how, when people connect more with nature, it can have a range of positive outcomes, from improved health and wellbeing to a stronger economy, and it also shapes our Cornish heritage and culture. The more we do for nature, the more nature can do for us.
“Organisations large and small can play a part, along with local communities and businesses. In a rural region like Cornwall farmers and growers are central to that mission. This means ensuring the industry continues to grow food for the nation supporting businesses to stay viable whilst delivering for nature at the same time. It is a real challenge, but one that’s both achievable and essential.
“By working together to support nature across our Duchy, we can deliver a future where our children and grandchildren can experience the joys of a quality natural environment and see hedgehogs in their gardens, hear woodlands bursting with the sound of birds and country lanes bordered by spring flowers."
The strategy is made up of:
• A map of the existing most valuable areas for wildlife and opportunities to recover nature
• Immediate short-term priorities and actions for nature
• Nature-based solution ideas such as natural flood management to make communities more resilient to climate change
• Case studies to help inspire residents to take action for nature
The nature recovery priorities for Cornwall are:
• A Forest for Cornwall of new and existing well-managed trees and woodlands
• To love our scrub, recognising the vital role it plays across our landscape
• A network of important heathland, moors and mires dotted with archaeology and nature-rich historic mining and quarry sites
• Ponds for Cornwall in farms, villages and schools
• Clean estuaries and seas full of fish, birds and mammals thriving above a diverse, healthy seabed
• Clean beaches and shores given space to thrive and adapt. Coastal species left in peace to live their lives and enrich ours
• Clean rivers and streams full of life; meandering through restored wetlands and reconnected to their floodplains
• Adoption of nature-friendly farming practices alongside quality food production, with hedges and edges, healthy soils, orchards and pasture rich in wildlife
• Nature-rich grasslands across farms, towns and villages alive with flowers and birds, creating homes for pollinators
• Making space for nature within towns and villages, reconnecting people to make communities happier and healthier
• A near continuous coastal wild-belt of nature-rich habitat and regenerative farming, wide enough to cope with a changing climate.
Find out how you can help nature recoverMake your Pledge for Nature
Story posted June 5, 2025