The Carbon Landscape
A pioneering new project which aims to restore industrial landscapes.
Background
A multi-million pound project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund has been launched to restore areas in the North West transformed by heavy industries like coal mining, peat extraction and iron & steel production.
Led by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, The Carbon Landscape aims to restore more than 130 hectares to nature, train more than 1000 volunteers and offer free education to 40 schools, and is spearheading the latest Government thinking on the environment. While work has already been happening to create green areas, the project aims to connect these areas - and to get local people involved in the restoration work.
Aims and objectives
- Restoration – To continue restoring a derelict landscape connecting wild areas to offer a better chance for wildlife
- Access – To reconnect people to the land
- Understanding – To raise awareness and remind local residents that this is YOUR landscape
Approach
The project features the RoundView - an accessible and positive approach to sustainability - which has come from research by Dr Joanne Tippett, Lecturer in Planning and Environmental Management at The University of Manchester. She found that offering guidelines for what a sustainable future might look like, rather than focusing on problems, leads to greater motivation and capacity for action. Working with the Great Manchester Wetlands Partnership, she has used RoundView to interpret the landscape in an innovative way.
Collaborators
The Carbon Landscape is part of the Great Manchester Wetlands, a partnership of local authorities, statutory organisations, environmental charities and community groups. It was established in 2011 to deliver improvements to nature and wildlife for the benefit of local communities.