Understanding our land Our estate – across Wales and England – covers a wide range of habitat types, from urban areas to woodland and grassland, tenanted farmland, forestry and peat moorland. We joined forces with local Wildlife Trusts and Rivers Trusts to undertake biodiversity audits on over 60 of our sites, and we’ll use these to develop site-specific biodiversity plans. Our land also includes Sites of Special Scientific Interest (‘SSSIs’), covering over 6,400 hectares. We are committed to protecting and enhancing our SSSIs, as well as causing no harm to others in our region as a result of our operations. Therefore we’re developing a designated-sites strategy that links to our ambitions in ensuring a sustainable water cycle and to our long-term asset strategy. Alongside this, we are enhancing our measures to protect precious ancient woodland, to make sure no new project causes harm and that we undertake any essential activity in conjunction with the relevant Non-Governmental Organization ('NGO'), to limit impact. The Great Big Nature Boost A greater, bigger biodiversity commitment Between 2015 and 2020, we improved the biodiversity of 244 hectares of land. We’ve seen such good results from our work that we’re embarking on one of the UK’s larger nature projects, our Great Big Nature Boost (‘GBNB’). Through this, by 2027 we aim to improve biodiversity across 5,000 hectares of land in our region. Making an impact As part of GBNB, we’ll: plant over 1.3 million trees grown by UK nurseries, providing homes for our native wildlife, contributing to natural flood management and sequestering carbon; create wildflower meadows to encourage the insects and birds that are natural predators of pests – farmers then use less pesticide, reducing the risk of agricultural run-off into local rivers; restore moorland in the Upper Peak District, which provides an important habitat for some wonderful bird species – healthy moorland helps to make soil less prone to erosion and reduces the impact of flooding; and restore bog and peatland – healthy peat bogs trap and store millions of tonnes of carbon and absorb vast quantities of water, acting like big sponges. Inspiring partners with our nature boost We’re working with specialist conservation partners like the RSPB and Wildlife Trusts – this year we worked with 129 different partners, with eight new ones already signed up for next year. We’re also collaborating with up to 9,000 farmers, landowners, and estate managers between 2020 and 2025. We know working to improve nature needs to happen at many different levels. So our Boost for Biodiversity grant scheme, among others, specifically targets smaller projects, so councils, schools and local conservation and community groups can carry out their own projects to enhance the natural environment. We can improve hundreds of hectares through these grant schemes, and this was very beneficial during a year when completing larger works would have been more difficult due to Covid restrictions. Unfortunately, some of our partnership projects have not been completed as they were relying on volunteer groups. But we aim to help partners maintain their impetus for the duration of GBNB once restrictions are lifted. As a business we are committed to biodiversity net gain, so we will always leave nature better than we found it. On capital projects that require a preliminary ecological appraisal, we target 15% net gain, beyond the 10% required of developers under forthcoming legislation. But importantly, in addition to net gain, through GBNB, we hope to inspire and engage our customers and their relationship with the environment. When we look after nature, we look after water. Here we expand on our priorities and programmes for enhancing the natural environment. Lake Vyrnwy The Lake Vyrnwy estate in Wales is one of our largest sites. It includes just under 10,000 hectares of open moorland, blanket bog, farmland and forest surrounding a 7.6km long reservoir that provides water for the people of Liverpool. We’re working with United Utilities – which supplies the water to Liverpool – the RSPB, Natural Resources Wales and the local community, to develop an ideal model of sustainable water and land management. Our plan for 2,000 hectares of sustainable commercial forestry will also improve biodiversity, water quality and recreation facilities, all for the benefit of the local community, the rural economy, and the 200,000 visitors the area receives every year. Helping beavers create wetland habitats Beavers are a ‘keystone species’, meaning their activity can actually create wildlife habitats in wetlands, bringing a wide range of ecological and economic benefits, especially in enhancing plant and animal diversity. On the Willington Wetlands nature reserve, a former gravel quarry, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is encouraging this activity by developing an enclosed Eurasian beaver release site. Here, GBNB support will help provide the ideal conditions for these wetland engineers. Looking after the world around us Enhancing our natural environment The RSPB at Lake Vyrnwy Read more online The RSPB at Lake Vyrnwy The RSPB leases over 4,500 hectares of uplands, pasture and deciduous woodland from Hafren Dyfrdwy within the catchment of Lake Vyrnwy, which is designated as an SSSI. Its proposed restorations include dry heath, blanket bog, wildflower meadows and woodlands, bringing catchment improvements while benefiting a number of key bird species and other wildlife. The work includes removing conifers that have encroached from the commercial forestry plantations. This year we removed 50 hectares of conifers and improved 143 hectares of the SSSI.