In November 2023, a new chapter in the story of the 34 designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) in England and Wales – they were renamed as National Landscapes.

The new name reflects the national importance of these landscapes: the vital contribution they make to protect the nation from the threats of climate change, nature depletion and the wellbeing crisis, whilst also creating greater understanding and awareness of the work we do.

This is a significant milestone for the UK and the next step in fully realising our vision to be the leading exemplars of how thriving, diverse communities can work with and for nature in the UK.

National Landscapes have a significant role to play in restoring ecosystems, providing food, storing carbon to mitigate the effects of climate change, safeguarding against drought and flooding, whilst also nurturing people’s health and wellbeing.

Read on to find out what we have achieved for NATURE, CLIMATE, PEOPLE and PLACE…

Dorset National Landscape’s wealth of wildlife is one of the outstanding qualities that underpin its designation. The lowland heathland of Purbeck is particularly special with an abundance of rare species such as sand lizards and smooth snakes that do not occur in such numbers anywhere else in the country.

• The Isle of Purbeck Landscape Recovery bid was the catalyst for a new vision for over 8,000 hectares of Purbeck coast and heath to become a high value landscape for nature, developed by bringing 40 individuals and organisations together. This work is also supporting progress towards the declaration of a new ‘super’ National Nature Reserve across the coastal area between Durlston NNR and St Aldhelm’s Head.
• The Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve new landscape-wide grazing scheme delivered excellent environmental outcomes in 2023, including the re-emergence of the rare annual yellow centaury due to ground disturbance by cattle.
• The Wytch Farm Landscape and Access Enhancement Fund, managed by Dorset National Landscape, supported the Dorset Peat Partnership to begin peatland restoration work in Purbeck, following their successful bid to Defra’s Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme.

• £673,000 support from Environment Agency earmarked for natural flood management solutions in the River Brit Catchment.
• Successful Brit Catchment Recovery Project bid to Defra by West Dorset Wildling will enable a partnership of 53 farmers to improve more than 8,000 acres of land for nature over 20 years.
• Over 320 people engaged with 11 river-focussed events in Bridport, Charmouth, Swanage, Lyme Regis and Beaminster.
• Training has enabled 39 people to become ’citizen scientists’ and to carry out Riverfly, Citizen Science Investigates, and Water Guardian surveys.
• 12km of Himalayan balsam clearance on the River Asker.

• 1088 trees planted as well as 8.2 km of new native hedgerow planted and 3.8km of existing hedgerow restored
• 18.46 ha of species rich grassland sown – 11.4ha of which sown with FiPL funded brush-harvester collected seed so that the total for the FiPL programme now stands at 33.68ha.
• 57 projects have supported nature friendly farming businesses
• 806 ha of wildlife-rich habitat was created or restored this year bringing total to 1152 ha
• 3 projects target the conservation of the rare Duke of Burgundy Butterfly

National Grid, through their Landscape Enhancement Initiative, have supported the Dorset National Landscape Partnership with three projects that enhance landscape around their infrastructure, resulting in £1million of investment in the protected landscape since 2018. The current Linking Chalk, River & Vale project has been active this year: working with local landowners and environment organisations it has achieved 4ha of grassland restoration, 1ha of scrub clearance, 950m of hedge laying and 27 new hedgerow trees.

Purbecks Precious Past Veteran Tree project delivered a total of 31 events including bat, beetle, invertebrate surveys; veteran tree and fungi surveys; seed gathering and tree nursery days. These involved over 50 individuals who together contributed an impressive 141 volunteer hours! This phase of the project has now been completed and since September 2021 has delivered a total of 86 events, 376 trees surveyed and 1000+ volunteer hours!

Strategic Plans for Nature Recovery have made good progress this year. The Dorset National Landscape Nature Recovery Plan has been completed, which identifies the important areas for wildlife and opportunities for enhancing the landscape for them (a commitment to the Colchester Declaration). This Plan will feed into the wider Dorset Local Nature Recovery Strategy being developed by Dorset Council, which the Dorset National Landscape team have been actively supporting and will be launched in 2025.

Dorset National Landscape Partnership has recognised the need to reduce emissions from this landscape, enhance carbon sequestration and storage and adapting the landscape and our activities to enhance resilience in the face of a changing climate.

• 15 volunteer tree wardens attended an online induction session with presentations from the Tree Council and Dorset Council Arboriculture & Tree Teams.
• Over 100 children from 5 West Dorset schools took part in tree-themed welly walks, and a tree planting day in February in Loders village. New tree-themed curriculum resources have also been developed to extend their learning and interest in trees.

This section explores the team’s work in helping people make a connection to this nationally-important landscape and its special qualities. Some activities are specifically focussed on reaching underserved audiences in support of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement of Intent adopted in May 2023.

• 10 new self-led nature and heritage inspired activities created, including ‘Walk Dorset’s History’ guides and short location films.
• 13 farmers have been trained through the Countryside Education Visits Accreditation scheme (CEVAS) and will each be hosting their first visits later this year.
• 10 groups of adults living with disabilities have been cocreating farm visits with the Stepping into Nature team. Disabilities of groups include; sight impaired, hearing impaired, neurodivergence and mental health problems.
• Actively support the Health and Nature Dorset collaboration through delivery of wellbeing projects and further research into barriers accessing nature.

• Over 120 people from ethnically diverse communities took part in 4 farm visits in autumn 2023, supported by Farming in Protected Landscape programmes (Dorset and Cranborne Chase). These have helped us shape a wider programme of activities for summer 2024.
• The Inside Out Festival at Wild Woodbury aimed to widen its audience with Flavours project support. Rapper Isaiah Dreads led outreach work with young people focussed on nature and over 2000 visits to artist performances were recorded.
• Flavours welcomed a group of 61 Ukrainians from Bournemouth & Poole-based to visit Durlston Country Park for the first time.
• Flavours supported the spectacular Rang Barse festival at Corfe Castle with rangoli and garland making activity, giving us an opportunity to start conversations about the project.

• £51,800 of Access for All improvements are underway to create multi-user routes at Hilfield Nature Reserve. With further improvements and appropriate promotion, the site will become more popular and may help ease visitor numbers at other busy locations.
• A much needed new (replacement) beach safety sign was installed Lyme Regis Front Beach with funding from Lyme Regis Town Council.
• New (replacement) colourful interpretation panels in Charmouth coming soon, following close working with the Parish Council and Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre.

• NATURE: Habitat monitoring was carried out across 2,000 ha of the Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve by a student Environment Research team.
• CLIMATE: A Food Security Plan was created for Bridport, future thinking how this market town in the heart of the National Landscape can make the most of food production in the local landscape.
• PEOPLE: Collectively, 6 projects engaged 835 young people in the National Landscape. Bridport Youth Dance Choreography Geography at Abbotsbury was an inspiring performance in and about the landscape. Pupils with complex needs volunteered at Asker Meadow Nature Reserve and facilitated poetry and visual art sessions enabled them to share their feelings about being in nature.
• PLACE: Caught in the Net was an intergenerational celebration of the unique Chesil Beach and its history of traditional mackerel fishing through song, movement and dance performance. Artsreach also captured the history and traditions of stone quarrying across the Jurassic Coast, commissioning a community choir song by The Longest Johns.

The Dorset National Landscape is a living, working landscape and our role is not only to conserve it but to help make sure that changes in the landscape are as positive as can be.

• Larger applications include major solar proposals within and close to the National Landscape, such as the Public Inquiry into a proposed large solar farm near Maiden Newton.
• Farm diversification applications have been a notable source of consultations, with diversification to tourism being the most significant trend.
• Applications for felling and replanting of woodlands affected by Ash Dieback, as well as for the creation of entirely new woodlands have also increased.

Highlights this year include a record number of attendees at the Dorset Food & Drink Christmas Fair at Athelhampton House; successful collaboration with the new Artisan Markets in Dorset in Sherborne, Shaftesbury, and Dorchester and ongoing collaboration with Dorset Farmers Markets; and supporting new diverse food producers as part of the Flavours project.

This year the restoration of 34 fingerposts has been completed in 18 different parishes and a further 3 new fingerposts constructed.

• The Farming in Protected Landscapes team secured an additional £122,000 funding for emergency works on the Grade 1 Listed Manor Barn at Winterborne Clenston where the roof was at risk of imminent collapse due to increased frequency and severity of winter storms.
• Three scheduled ancient monument barrows (deemed ‘at risk’) near Culliford Tree, Winterborne Came, were cleared of vegetation and new grazing practices set up to protect them from damage from tree roots

• Total ‘added value’ makes the effective total £2,705,048, the additional £896,340 is derived from £212,155 in volunteer time and £684,185 in partner spend on joint partnership and granted projects.
• Each £1 of core funding levered in £5.97 and each £1 of Dorset Council support levered in £31.34.
• Total added value, including partner and volunteer spend elevates this to £1 Defra core contribution levered £10.53 and £1 Dorset Council core contribution levered £45.35.