Your web browser is out of date. Update your browser for more security, speed and the best experience on this site.
Person interacting with a tomato
Our vision

A thriving natural environment

Our vision for the West of England is a thriving natural environment supporting a resilient society and economy, with interconnected landscapes benefiting nature, climate, and people. The Local Nature Recovery Strategy and Toolkit are central to this, empowering action across the region — but achieving it relies on collaboration with communities, businesses, and partners, like you.

Have a positive impact on nature in your community

Are you part of a business or parish council, and would like to create new habits for wildlife on your land? Or perhaps you want to make your household or business more nature-friendly, but need guidance on what to do. The Local Nature Recovery Toolkit is an interactive map which shows you which ‘measures’ for nature recovery are recommended as being most impactful in your specific area, helping you to contribute towards nature recovery in the West of England.

Read the guide below, or use this interactive walk-through to learn how to use the toolkit.

Identify which measures you should take

Click anywhere on the map to see the recommended measures for that area, and filter these measures to find those most relevant to you.

For example, if you want to know how to make your garden more nature-friendly, you can filter measures by 'residents and communities' and 'gardens'. If you have land that you are interested in taking action on, you can use the filter ‘farmers and landholders’.

You'll also find that measures are divided into three categories of ‘status’ to help you identify which are right for you.

Core measures

‘Core’ measures are those measures that will also make a significant contribution towards nature recovery, but are not eligible for an uplift in BNG units. Many of these measures are related to helping priority species, making towns and cities more nature-friendly, or controlling invasive non-native species.

Supplementary measures

‘Supplementary’ measures are those that will contribute towards making the wider landscape more nature-friendly and reduce pressure on nature. For residents and businesses, these include measures relating to reducing pollution, flooding and water usage.

Core (BNG) measures

‘Core (BNG)’ measures are generally only relevant to those with access to land (not including private gardens and other outdoor spaces). They are measures that relate to habitat creation, enhancement or management and that are eligible for a 15% uplift in Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) units within the mapped focus areas for nature recovery.

Find best practice guidance and funding to make it a reality

Taking action requires supportive guidance and often a source of funding.

Luckily, each measure in the toolkit has a link to both relevant guidance and, where available, funding for carrying out the measure.

If you are in a ‘focus area for nature recovery’, you could even receive a higher rate for creating Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) units.

Fields from above Image credit: Aerial Nomad

The wider picture

If you have a larger landholding or are working over a larger area, you may want to take a look at the wider picture across the region.

Using the Open Data Portal, you may access maps which show where measures related to habitat creation, restoration and enhancement are planned across the West of England.

For example, you can view all the places that woodland creation or calcareous grassland restoration will be eligible for an uplift in BNG units.

Access mapped measures

Our vision for the West of England

Our vision for the West of England is of a thriving natural environment that underpins a healthy and resilient society and economy - fully connected landscapes and a network of natural habitats and wildlife corridors, working for nature, climate and people, from our wildest places to our towns and city centres.

We have a region-wide plan to coordinate this - we are the first English Region to publish its Local Nature Recovery Strategy. And, crucially, with it, we have launched our very own Local Nature Recovery Toolkit - a vital resource that will bring our plan alive - informing and empowering action for nature and accelerating our impact right across the region.

We will only be able to do this by working in step with the region’s communities, businesses, land managers, funders and decision makers, as well as our nature conservation partners, local councils and the West of England Combined Authority.

We all need a healthy natural environment and access to nature,,for our improved health and wellbeing and to ensure a sustainable future. We want everyone to have the opportunity to engage with, and benefit from, nature - wherever we live, whoever we are.