Blue and Green Horizons project finished thanks to New Forest NPA, Countryside Education Trust, Freshwater Habitats Trust, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and New Forest Commoners’ Defence Association

A HUGE project to improve nature and climate resilience across 27 sites in the New Forest is finally complete.

Land equivalent in size to 147 football pitches has had nature networks extended and wildlife rich corridors created, which will link national park habitats to neighbouring towns and cities.

The £800,000 scheme, called Blue and Green Horizons, has taken 18 months to complete. Five organisations teamed up to improve grassland, woodland, hedgerows, streams and ponds.

These were the NPA; the Countryside Education Trust; Freshwater Habitats Trust (FHT); Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust; and New Forest Commoners’ Defence Association (CDA).

Funded by the Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund, the Horizons scheme was developed by Defra and delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England, the Environment Agency, and Forestry Commission.

Working across 105 hectares of land, including Furzey Ground woodland near Lymington, work included the removal of invasive and non-native plants, meaning specialist wetland plants now flourish, and common darter and gold ringed dragonflies have returned to the improved areas.

Farming, commoning, and landowner groups were educated in how to help increase landscape resilience.

Innovative ways for small rural businesses to protect water quality and reduce reliance on mains water were also introduced, and the amount of water surrounding areas was also reduced to prevent nutrient and sediment run-off.

The FHT held 115 volunteer events, with 235 regular volunteers who tested the quality of water in the Forest. Around 85% of samples indicated it was clean, while the remaining samples revealed pollution.

The NPA also benefited from the work of volunteers who spent a total 46,000 hours clearing paths, planting hedgerows and litter picking, among other tasks.

At Beaulieu, the Countryside Education Trust welcomed the Duchess of Edinburgh, who opened the new climate centre. An educational and community-based hub, the facility welcomes people of all ages who want to learn more about the New Forest.

The CDA created a new dedicated role to raise awareness and communicate key messages about what they do.

And the NPA brought the scheme and partners together, submitting the successful bid to the Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund, which awarded a £540,000 grant plus match funding from partners.

Patrick Heneghan, deputy chair of the NPA and chair of the Green and Blue Horizons board, said: “The scheme has been a huge success, bringing funding to a range of organisations and achieving an impressive amount of conservation and engagement.

“The 18-month multi-partner scheme kickstarted action to confront the twin climate and nature emergencies, with programmes to restore habitats, begin our path towards net zero with nature, and help new and diverse audiences connect with the New Forest.

“It’s a great example of effective partnership working to successfully deliver shared goals.”