News

Community Nature Fund: Supporting Local Projects to Protect Peak District Wildlife

We’re proud to announce that we have approved funding for four exciting community-led projects through our Community Nature Fund. Designed to empower local groups in protecting and enhancing nature in the Peak District, the Fund supports initiatives that promote biodiversity, restore habitats, and encourage community engagement. Each of the selected projects will make a meaningful impact on local habitats and strengthen our shared commitment to conservation and restoration in the National Park.

Reviving The Growing Areas at The Beeches

This project, led by The Visionaries, focuses on restoring the 1.5-acre community growing spaces at The Beeches in Hope Valley, bringing new life to an overgrown garden, forest garden, and orchard. Using agroecological principles, the project will create a thriving, biodiverse hub where local residents and community groups—including refugee organisations, youth wellbeing initiatives, and grassroots justice projects—can engage in participatory gardening and nature restoration. Funding from the Community Nature Fund will provide essential tools and equipment to support hands-on learning, workshops, and sustainable land stewardship activities. By reviving these spaces, the project will enhance biodiversity, improve soil health, promote climate resilience, and foster stronger connections between people and nature, ensuring long-term benefits for both the environment and the community.

Rowland Butterfly Project

Led by Rowland Parish Council, this initiative will enhance butterfly conservation efforts in Rowland. Volunteers in the area have been recording butterfly populations for two years as part of the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS), recently noting the presence of the endangered Wall Brown Butterfly. To support and expand these fragile populations, the project will plant carefully selected wildflowers and grass plugs along public verges, creating a vital butterfly corridor. These plants will provide essential food sources for both larvae and adult butterflies, extending their feeding season and increasing breeding success. By enriching the habitat with native flora and protecting these critical areas, the project will not only aid endangered butterfly species but also enhance biodiversity, benefiting pollinators, birds, and other wildlife while making the landscape more vibrant for walkers and cyclists who enjoy the area.

Improvements to Old School Field, Hayfield

This project, led by Sustainable Hayfield, will enhance biodiversity and community engagement at the Old School Field. Work will include the creation of a vibrant community orchard with wildflowers and hedging to support pollinators. Alongside habitat management and selective woodland improvements, the project will introduce protective hedging, woven barriers, and new information panels to raise awareness of local wildlife. Volunteers from the community will lead the efforts, ensuring the space becomes a thriving, biodiverse environment that benefits both nature and residents. Through careful habitat restoration, public engagement, and long-term stewardship, the project will foster greater appreciation and protection of the area’s rich natural heritage.

The Beeley Bumblebee and Orchard Project

Led by the Cavendish Village Hall Management Committee, this project will support the restoration of the orchard at the village hall in Beeley, revitalizing this important community space while enhancing its value as a haven for wildlife. The orchard has suffered from past neglect, leading to habitat loss, including a decline in the once-thriving grass snake population. With careful stewardship, the project aims to restore the orchard’s biodiversity by conducting wildlife surveys, improving habitat conditions for pollinators, bats, and other species, and replanting trees such as the locally significant Beeley Pippin apple and other traditional varieties found only in Derbyshire. By maintaining the orchard as a protected green space, it will also serve as a community asset, providing opportunities for local groups, school children, and residents to connect with nature through educational activities, toddler walks, and special events. This initiative will ensure the long-term preservation of a traditional orchard, contributing to the broader effort to safeguard declining orchard habitats across the UK.

We can’t wait to see these projects come to life and help make the Peak District a thriving place for nature and people. Stay tuned for updates!