More than £750,000 is set to drive forward ‘NatureCityNorwich’, which Norwich City Council is delivering alongside Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Broadland District Council, South Norfolk Council and Norfolk County Council.
Backed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project is one of several across the UK that is set to transform how nature is protected, connected and celebrated. In Norwich, it will co-create a community-led urban nature recovery action plan. This will see nature and people placed at the heart of Norwich’s future.
The project will also map out and address Norwich’s nature gaps, improving access to both green and blue spaces, while empowering communities to shape am ore resilient, biodiverse and inclusive city. Lasting for three years, a new Nature Commission will be established for Norwich, coming up with new funding and land management models, supporting the city’s journey to Nature Towns and Cities Advanced Accreditation.
A further aspect of the partnership is how it will build on other collaborations that have already shown how urban nature recovery is able to deliver ecological and community benefits. Norfolk Wildlife Trust has already been showcasing this through its Sweet Briar Marshes nature reserve and its work to empower nearby communities to enjoy and help their local wildlife.
NatureCityNorwich will extend this approach citywide, seeing sites such as Sweet Briar Marshes connected into a coherent Urban Nature Recovery Network. The principles of inclusion, innovation and long-term stewardship will be scaled up too.
