The National Park’s nine year renature initiative to combat biodiversity loss nears 50% completion.

In 2021, the South Downs National Park set a goal of transforming 13,000 hectares of land in Sussex and Hampshire into habitat for wildlife by 2030.

At present, a total of 6,082 hectares has been created or improved in line with the renature initiative.

Including the planting of almost 50,000 trees, adding more than 100 hectares of wildflowers, establishing hedgerows, restoring waterways and improving rarer habitats like chalk grasslands.

Some areas, including farms and larger estates, have been formally secured for nature through planning agreements for biodiversity net gain.

The National Park says it is working with partners across the Sussex and Hampshire area on over 350 projects in a bid to facilitate nature recovery and combat biodiversity loss.