What is Nature Recovery - From the Ground Up?
Nature Recovery – From the Ground Up (NR-FGU) is a project led by Cambridgeshire County Council and Natural Cambridgeshire. It is funded by the Cambridgeshire County Council Just Transition Fund.
The NR-FGU project helps local communities create their own Community Nature Recovery Plans. These plans focus on projects that matter to local people and support the goals of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy. Through a series of workshops, the project helps communities to:
- Explore what’s special locally
- Share what’s worked well in places with similar habitats/interests
- Identify potential projects; and
- Work together to bring them about.
This project provides a platform for people to share their experience and learn from each other. It draws on the deep knowledge and appreciation for nature of people in Cambridgeshire.
Why do we need to take action for nature in Cambridgeshire?
Cambridgeshire is one of the areas with the least nature in England. To address this, the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) sets out a plan to ‘double nature’ in Cambridgeshire. This means increasing the nature-rich land area in the county from 8% up to the national average of 16%. The LNRS includes actions that restore habitats, create nature corridors, and increase the area of land that is managed for nature. As well as being important for wildlife and nature, these actions benefit communities and the wider environment. They make it easier for people to enjoy being out in nature, help reduce flood risk, and help us to address and adapt to climate change.
Which areas are included in the project?
The first phase of the project runs, initially, from July 2025-March 2027. This phase is focused on Cambridge City and 20 parishes spread across East Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Huntingdonshire and South Cambridgeshire. Click on the tabs to view the parishes included in phase one.
The project will be rolled out to further parishes across the county in phase two (April 2027-July 2029). Where possible, workshops and project resources will be made available to the public to help parishes outside the initial target areas to get involved.
What support is available?
- Workshops that celebrate local nature, explore what it means to the community, and identify practical nature projects to develop.
- Free access to the Parish Online mapping software for all Cambridgeshire parishes until April 2027 to support habitat mapping and ground-truthing reference maps. Visit our Resources page for information on how to access the mapping tool.
- Opportunities for communities to learn from each other by sharing successful nature projects and working together across parishes.
- Specialist training in local citizen science, ecological skills, and hands-on environmental management.
- Support to develop Community Nature Recovery Plans and apply for funding.
- Opportunities for communities to work with us to develop local nature projects. This includes identifying possible future Local Nature Reserves.
How to get involved?
Do you want to double nature on your doorstep? Can you help nature thrive near you?
Mailing list
Join our mailing list to keep updated on workshops and support offered through the project. Everyone welcome, not just parishes in phase one.
Events
Join our local cluster meetings and events. We will be holding regular workshops and events to bring people together and showcase local community nature recovery initiatives.
Share skills
Do you have skills, experience or resources that you could share to support community nature recovery projects in Cambridgeshire? Click below to offer your support to community nature groups across the county.
Resources
Find support to help your community restore nature locally including information on:
- how to access Parish Online
- guidance on preparing a Community Nature Recovery Plan
- information on how you can find local practical support to further nature where you are.
Contact
For further information about the project contact community.nature@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Quotes
Cllr Ros Hathorn, Chair of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Environment and Green Investment Committee, said: “This is a great opportunity for people in Cambridgeshire to come together and make a real difference. The collective enthusiasm and local knowledge of our residents can help transform our county and bring us closer to a greener, more sustainable Cambridgeshire. I really would encourage everyone to get involved if they can.
“I am thrilled that this regional co-ordination between villages and their biodiversity strategies is starting to happen at last...I am really excited to see how this moves forward, and I am sure this Pilot is going to be a big success, with so much motivation, knowledge, and talent in the group...It gives me a lot of hope for the future to see so many passionate and dedicated people in one place.” Cllr Ian Walters, Duxford Parish Council.
“Our approach has been much more opportunistic and piecemeal, and so I am looking forward to developing a more comprehensive map of what could be and then piloting one or two small parts of this, as well as participating in cross-parish initiatives.” Chair, Sustainable Shepreth.
“Nature recovery in the Fens is often seen as a challenge requiring major investment and engineering. But the knowledge, resilience, and passion of our Fenland communities can often create real, lasting change. Nature Recovery from the Ground Up recognises the power of local leadership and gives communities the tools and support they need to bring their ideas for a thriving natural landscape to life” – Ashley Dolling, Fenland District Council.
