Shortlist for 2017 Park Protector Award revealed
Campaign for National Parks’ Park Protector Award has shortlisted five projects for their outstanding contribution to the UK’s National Parks.
National Parks are home to some of our most important wildlife and sites of cultural heritage, we believe this makes them worth protecting. The annual Park Protector Award aims to celebrate those projects making a big difference in England and Wales’ National Parks.
This year we received lots of high quality nominations but the judges have decided five stand above the others for the big impact they are having and the innovative approaches they are taking. We are pleased to reveal the five as the following:
River Barle Signal Crayfish Project – Exmoor
This project aims to conserve native crayfish and the wider River Barle ecosystem through monitoring and even sterilising the invasive signal crayfish caught by trained volunteers. Capturing the controlling this damaging species is a big challenge but the hard work has been richly rewarded with a healthier ecosystem in the River Barle.
Fell Care Days – Lake District
Fell Care Days provides volunteers with the opportunity to contribute to cultural and natural conservation work in the Lake District. Thousands of volunteers have maintained kilometres of footpaths, planted hundreds of native trees and even built three bridges!
The community science program monitors changes in wildlife. Photography by Moors for the Future
Explorers Club – North York Moors
This project provides hands-on conservation experience to families over a six month period in the North York Moors. Everything is geared up towards the family with those as young as two able to use special equipment to take part and contribute to landscape and habitat conservation in the Park.
Community Science – Peak District
Understanding the impacts of climate change is no small challenge. The Community Science project from Moors for the Future uses the strength of the community to monitor the changes to the environment happening in the Peak District. The environmental information collected by volunteer ‘community scientists’ are crucial to targeting conservation efforts.
Pembrokeshire Marine Code – Pembrokeshire Coast
The Marine Code hopes to inspire land owners, visitor and businesspeople to respect the precious coastal ecosystem of Pembrokeshire. This project has trained thousands in sustainable practices and developed an app to reference the code of conduct while out and about in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
For media enquiries contact Andrew Hall on Tel: 0207 981 0891, or email andrew@cnp.org.uk
The Park Protector Award is only made possible by support from the Ramblers Holiday Charitable Trust.
The Park Protector program is additionally supported by the Michael Marks Charitable Trust, the Alpkit Foundation and the D S Smith Charitable Foundation.
