How to make a nature plan

You can make a nature plan for your garden, your school, your farm, your community space or even your whole village. All plans must respect the interests of landowners or house owners and must not suggest land management or land uses on specific areas of land that have not been previously discussed and agreed with landowners.

1. Form a nature group to utilise local knowledge and gain interested volunteers (check our list to see if one already exists).
2. Make a simple map of wildlife habitats in your area, identifying where the most important places for nature are and why they matter
3. Based on this, decide the objectives for your nature recovery plan. What habitats do you want to improve or create and what species do you particularly want to see increase in your area?
4. Develop a nature recovery map that illustrates where you want to create new habitats and the existing habitats that can be improved.
5. Develop a timeline for habitat creation or improvement, recognising that the plan is best delivered in bitesize pieces over the ten-year period.
6. Develop a plan for maintaining and monitoring these habitats and the wildlife that lives there.

Make a Nature Plan Step by Step Toolkit

Further Guidance

Devon Wildlife Trust Action for Insects guidance booklet: Action for insects in your community | The Wildlife Trusts

Natural Cambridgeshire Toolkit for more guidance

Transition Town Wellington Wildlife Map: Great example of a map you could make for your town or village!

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Community Nature Recovery Challenge Fund - Applications Now Closed

Applications for the next round of our Community Nature Recovery Challenge Fund are now open! Do you want some funds to improve nature in your community? Grants are available for shared, community spaces such as parks, churchyards, woodlands, village greens and schools! 

To apply for up to £250, please download and complete an application form and send it to: biosphere-mailbox@devon.gov.uk or if you would prefer to post please send to: Jack Woolfenden , North Devon Biosphere, Taw View, North Walk, Barnstaple, Devon EX31 1EE (please email to confirm you are posting your application!)  

The Community Nature Recovery Plan Challenge Fund is delivered locally by the North Devon Biosphere team and will be funded by Pledge for Nature (supported through the National Lottery Heritage Fund and a Crowdfunder)and holidaycottages.co.uk, an organisation supporting the Biosphere’s local environment to help us make space better for nature and our local communities.

Please take a look at those who have previously been awarded this grant.

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