Four National Trust projects to benefit from record government investment
- Published:
- 08 July 2026
Species at four National Trust places are due to receive funds from the largest ever investment in recovering England’s wildlife, Natural England announced today (Wednesday 8 July), as part of the government's "Wild Again: Restoring England's Wildlife" initiative to turn the tide for England's wildlife.
Threatened Arctic alpine species including mountain eyebright and Borrowdale hawkweed, Atlantic salmon and the diamond backed spider are just some of the species set to benefit from the near £1.9 million investment awarded to the National Trust – a slice of the £60 million largest ever investment in recovering the country’s threatened plants, animals and fungi, through the Species Recovery Programme, supporting 130 projects in total across England.
Since 1970, wildlife populations have fallen by a third, with one in six species at risk of extinction in Great Britain including some of our most treasured wildlife. The total £60 million investment will target 364 threatened species, from birds to beetles, moths to mammals, spiders to snails and sharks to seahorses, to bring us closer to our goal of a wilder, healthier country for generations to come.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said:
“Nearly one in six species in Britain are threatened with extinction and this Government is taking action to reverse that decline.
“Through the largest-ever investment in species recovery, we are backing projects across the country to protect threatened wildlife, restore habitats and secure the future of some of England's most iconic species.”
Natural England Chair Tony Juniper said:
"For decades Natural England's vital species recovery work has revealed how even the rarest of the rare can be brought back from the brink. The red kite, lady's slipper orchid, pool frog, beaver and large blue butterfly are among examples that demonstrate the many opportunities at hand and what can be achieved for nature and wider society.
“We know that good science and effective partnerships can help restore species to favourable status, and this funding will enable us to support many initiatives to help halt and reverse the decline of our wonderful wildlife."
Commenting on the National Trust projects that will be supported, Ben McCarthy, Head of Nature Restoration at the conservation charity said:
“This funding is a major step forward to help us halt the decline of some of our most threatened species. . This funding allows us to make a real difference for some of the wildlife under pressure at our places, whether that’s Arctic alpines clinging on in harsh montane conditions or Atlantic salmon fighting their way upstream. With this support, we can give these species the best chance to recover and ensure they remain part of England’s natural heritage.”
Over the past three decades the programme has helped protect over 1,000 species and prevented the national extinction of at least 35 species.
Defra will invest £60 million over the next three years, plus a further £30 million dedicated to species recovery on the national forest estate, bringing the total government commitment to £90 million.
The investment comes alongside the creation of three new national forests and approval of the first wild beaver releases since they were hunted to extinction around 400 years ago.