More people are informed on nature recovery in Dorset and are actively doing something to make space for nature.
Nature recovery needs to be at the heart of every community, with collective action bringing the biggest gains. More people knowing, loving, appreciating and doing something for nature will lead to more nature positive behaviours. A thriving nature-based local economy can also help boost local employment and incomes. Each person, business, organisation, landowner, farmer, school, group is part of the solution to make nature more abundant, connected and resilient in Dorset. This strategy is the people of Dorset’s strategy and provides the different priorities, activities and information needed to recover nature across the county. And in turn help strengthen the links between our natural environment, economy, jobs and health.

One way people can support nature recovery is through Nature Recovery Dorset, an initiative collectively created to help bring together and drive forward local action for nature. Nature Recovery Dorset celebrates what’s already being done for nature, shows where there are opportunities to do more, and encourages collaboration.

Nature recovery in action

Planet Purbeck is a community-led organisation working to protect and enhance nature in Purbeck, by bringing communities together and ensuring nature recovery delivers benefits to improve people’s everyday lives. 

Working together with landowners, activity providers, community groups and charities, they’ve launched Purbeck Goes Wild to make sure every Purbeck child and young person is offered opportunities to get out and about in nature. From school gardening clubs and free school trips to nature hotspots, family outdoor activities and opportunities to help with practical nature conservation tasks. 

Young people connecting more with nature may become ambassadors for protecting the natural environment or gain skills to progress with careers in conservation and outdoor sectors.
Children exploring nature with a magnifying glass in tall grass.
Photo credit: Sue Western

Potential activities

See what activities people can carry out to help achieve this priority. You can view them all, or just look at the one most relevant to you. These activities are a guide and are not exhaustive, as there are many small activities involved in habitat management and restoring ecosystems.

The activities and Dorset’s nature recovery maps provide a starting point, but additional land management and ecological advice will often be needed to support activities on individual sites. 

Explore by sector

Select the sector you're interested in to see the relevant activities for this priority.

Explore all potential activities

Listed here are all the potential activities for this priority:
  • showcase and champion the huge range of activities already happening for nature recovery in Dorset, and celebrate the people involved to help inspire others
  • continue and grow Dorset’s strong history of partnership working. For example, farm clusters, catchment based approach, and landscape recovery projects. Use this strategy as a tool to help target collaborative efforts, working together across sectors by listening without judgement, sharing knowledge and pooling resources
  • share advice to help develop and implement a land management plan, if one is not already in place. For example, for farmers, landowner, land managers, community groups, town and parish councils, schools
  • support rural skills development and rural workers to strengthen the nature- based local economy. For example, business hubs, affordable housing tied to local forestry or agriculture, promoting sustainable tourism and linking with the outdoor activity sector
  • host farmer or forester led events to learn more about sustainable practices
  • include sustainable farming, sustainable forestry and land management and conservation courses in local college curriculum
  • share successes and learning from trailblazing transformational landscape scale projects and enhance the collective efforts of farmers and landowners
  • support local farmers, landowners and land managers in their asks to government regarding support for sustainable farming or forestry practices
  • use public sector resources to carry out nature recovery projects as demonstrators (for example, nutrient mitigation or county farms), then champion the private sector to drive delivery
  • increase training of greenspace maintenance contractors to include managing grassland and other habitats with nature recovery in mind, including training on the equipment required and where this is available for hire
  • promote the opportunity for traditional livestock breed rearing and grazing to meet the demand for conservation grazing as part of habitat management
  • work with architects, builders and roofers to raise awareness of potential impacts of development on wildlife and the benefits of seeking ecological advice early in the design process
  • provide training to landscape architects and grounds maintenance teams on wildlife-friendly gardening practices
  • provide guidance to help developers consider sustainable drainage systems (SuDs) at an early stage of design and planning, and how these can provide multiple benefits for water quality and biodiversity
  • show how businesses can deliver nature recovery actions at different scales. For example, Sustainable Business Network, BCP Council Nature Pledge. Celebrate stories of businesses whose success is based on working in harmony with a healthy natural environment
  • collaborate with recording groups and citizen scientists to explore how they can help measure progress and promote opportunities for more people to get involved, from annual wildlife count days to regular wildlife monitoring groups
  • share information on what people can do to help wildlife at home. For example, Dorset Wildlife Trust’s wildlife-friendly spaces award, BCP Council’s Nature Pledge
  • support communities to understand and celebrate any changes happening through habitat restoration and why it is needed. For example, information signs on footpaths and near projects, volunteer days, and explaining the positives of having wilder areas that may seem ‘untidy’ to some
  • raise awareness of ways people can enjoy nature, while minimising pressures this can put on wildlife. For example, Dorset Dogs and The Countryside Code
  • make more space for nature nearby people’s homes, especially in areas where it is estimated 30% or less of the population live within a 300m walk of nature
  • promote ways for people to connect with nature when using footpaths, national trails, rights of way and open access land
  • continue the work of the Partnership Against Rural Crime to raise awareness of what a wildlife crime is and how to report it
  • build on existing provision of nature related activities in nurseries, schools, colleges and youth clubs. For example, increase forest school for all students, assembly packs for eco clubs to deliver, trips to natural spaces and farms, on-site growing of food, plants and trees, resources for educators to embed nature recovery themes across all lessons/subjects, geo-caching
  • continue and expand the variety of nature-related activities in communities across Dorset, giving more time for people to connect with nature or get involved in nature conservation. For example, community gardening, pond-dipping experiences, natural arts and crafts, mindfulness sessions, outdoor physical activities
  • maintain and increase green social prescribing, supporting people to take part in nature-based activities that can help improve health and wellbeing, meet a diverse range of needs, and foster nature connectedness
  • acquire long-term funding to support project development, capital investment and ongoing maintenance of interventions
  • raise awareness of new funding for nature recovery activities and increase support to access funding where needed, for example, farm advisors, community fund finder
  • provide a clear approach for monitoring and reporting, so everyone can understand what ‘good’ looks like for different habitat types and species, and how to report on their activities to help track progress
  • maintain centralised mapping service where local people can view information about habitats, opportunities for nature recovery, and completed projects
  • explore opportunities to deliver nature recovery projects in places with heritage assets or historical features, to benefit the natural and historic environment
  • share opportunities for people to learn more about local geodiversity, how it supports the natural environment, what nature recovery activities are supported by different geology, and opportunities to conserve geology through volunteering