Local Wildlife Sites and 30 by 30
Programme Summary
Our 868 Local Wildlife Sites (Sites of Nature Conservation Interest) cover 15% of the West of England. They are some of the region’s most important places for biodiversity – local sanctuaries that act as stepping stones across the landscape.
Many sites haven’t been monitored or managed for decades, but with the right investment they could make a major contribution to the national ambition to have 30% of land managed for nature by 2030.
The programme will:
- Survey and assess all Local Wildlife Sites to “take the pulse of nature” at the local level
- Work with landowners to create tailored management plans and bring sites into active conservation
- Build a regional database and monitoring framework to guide policy and investment
- Demonstrate how Local Wildlife Sites can deliver up to 15% of our “30 by 30” target
Why it matters:
- Thriving local sites underpin climate and ecological resilience
- They provide connected corridors for species adapting to climate change
- They support pollinators, plants, birds and mammals that depend on high-quality local habitats
- They create opportunities for ecological training, graduate schemes and apprenticeships
Get Involved
If you own or manage land with a Local Wildlife Site, or wildlife-rich land that could potentially qualify, we would like to hear from you. We are also keen to work with ecologists, students, volunteers and citizen scientists to support long-term monitoring and surveying efforts.
