More than 7,400 acres in the Lake District have been designated as one of the first ‘super national nature reserves’ in England: Ennerdale Valley, as reported on by LancsLive.
image: By John Gibson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Commons Wikimedia
… landscape is the largest NNR in Cumbria and the ninth largest in England…
LancsLive writes:
… The acreage covers water, forests and mountains in Wild Ennerdale. The landscape is home to rare wildlife including squirrels, freshwater pearl mussels and Arctic charr as well as juniper, damp Atlantic oakwood and scarce mountain plants.
The landscape is the largest NNR in Cumbria and the ninth largest in England. It has been managed with sustainable grazing by hardy cattle, efforts to restore native trees and woods, restoring more natural river processes and planting juniper…
The Wild Ennerdale partnership, which formed 20 years ago, brings together Forestry England, the National Trust, United Utilities and Natural England, who aim to allow natural processes to create wilder landscapes and ecology…
The new super NNR will protect more than 3,000 hectares of Ennerdale. Tony Juniper, chairman of Natural England, said: “Wild Ennerdale is a diverse and varied landscape which supports some of our most unique and precious wildlife, including… the Arctic charr – a fish that has hung on in the valley since the last Ice Age.
“We have been working with partners for some years to improve this already amazing place and its declaration as a National Nature Reserve will enhance the spectacular landscape…”
…Environment Minister Trudy Harrison said: “Ennerdale Valley is a haven for fish, birds and insects and provides much treasured access to green space for local people….”
