The farmed landscape

The farmed landscape, and our farming community, is the frontline of efforts to reverse the declines in biodiversity.

The North Pennines National Landscape team is involved in a wide range of activity to support our High Nature Value farmers to conserve species and habitats and bring about nature recovery on a large scale. This includes:

• restoring hay meadows and species rich banks and verges – working with farmers and specialist contractors we’ve restored over 200ha of hay meadows and hundreds of verges;
• developing a programme of natural flood management in Weardale;
• creating new woodlands and promoting a landscape richer in trees
• working with farmers throughout Teesdale, Lunedale and Baldersdale to support habitat connectivity and restoration through our project, ‘Tees Swale- naturally connected’

We are embarking on a project to ‘test and trial’ new approaches to agri-environment schemes, and have two new ‘Facilitation Fund’ projects which enable us to work with farmers to support collaboration conservation and training.

In the farmed landscape more than anywhere else, we need to work together to protect what remains and restore what has been lost, and at the same time retain and support viable farm incomes.