People want England's National Parks and AONBs to be richer in nature

What do you most value about England’s National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and do you think they should be richer in wildlife than the rest of the countryside?

These were just two of the questions in a new independent survey commissioned by the RSPB. The results are presented in our report published today called “Natural Parks?” (see the link below).

The results show that regardless of whether people live inside or outside these protected places:

• Wildlife and nature are the most valued feature of our National Parks and AONBs
• People think that wildlife should be doing better in these areas than it is outside them
• When people find out wildlife isn’t thriving in National Parks and AONBs, this concerns them and they would like to see nature restored. In fact – it’s their number one priority
• People are willing to change the way the land is managed to achieve this, and for these landscapes to look different as a result.

The people have spoken and it’s clear they don’t want these landscapes to be preserved as they are today. They want to see them alive with nature.

This sends a strong message to the government with just over 2 weeks until the end of an important consultation on the future of England’s National Parks and AONBs.

To make your voice heard at this crucial moment, we have prepared a blog with 5 and 15 minute guides to taking part in the consultation.

We all have until 9 April to demand nature-rich protected landscapes and make sure this opportunity is not missed.

READ THE FULL REPORT HERE.