The National Trust is marking its 130th birthday this weekend by unveiling its most ambitious plan ever to tackle the climate crisis by creating 250,000 hectares of nature-rich landscapes – an area one-and-a-half times the size of Greater London. 

Europe’s largest conservation charity, which has nearly 5.4 million members, is ramping up efforts to preserve and restore the natural environment and help mitigate the impact of climate change in its “bold” new ten-year plan. 

Following consultation with 70,000 members, volunteers and partners, the Trust will work with environmental organisations, farmers, landowners and communities to restore peatland, improving river water quality and reconnecting landscapes both on and off its own land.

Founded on January 12, 1895, as the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, its original role was to preserve nature from industrialisation. It later pivoted to help save country houses from dereliction in the wake of the two World Wars.

Now while it insists its conservation mission will continue unabated, and it will continue to acquire properties for the nation, it’s pivoting back towards its original mission.

Director-General Hilary McGrady said: “For 130 years, the National Trust has responded to the crises and challenges of the time. Today, nature is declining before our eyes and climate change is threatening homes and habitats on a colossal scale. Meanwhile, millions of people can’t enjoy the benefits that green space and heritage bring.  

“So we will significantly step up our efforts to restore nature, both on our own land and beyond our boundaries. We are pledging to end the inequity of access to green space and cultural heritage, and to inspire millions more people to take action to protect the things we all need to thrive. 

“Our charity’s founders were passionate campaigners who recognised the threats to our natural and cultural heritage, and, against the odds, did something about it. That same boldness is needed today.” 

The Trust has already restored 25,000 hectares of priority habitat landscapes over the past decade. Its new scheme will include restoring vital peatland, which stores more carbon than the forests of Britain, France and Germany combined. It will also work to reduce flood risk to many thousands of homes and businesses and improve the health of enough soil to provide a habitat for one billion earthworms – enough to ring the earth twice.

The Trust recently purchased a 78-hectare area of land at Lunt in Sefton, Merseyside, to support a new network of woodland, woody habitats, wetlands and grassland, and form part of the local Community Forest. The land will open up access to more green space for nearby communities and connect a mosaic of nature-rich landscapes together, creating much-needed corridors for wildlife.

With founding partners Natural England and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Trust is also inviting towns and cities across the UK to be part of a new programme, Nature Towns and Cities. The programme will support 100 towns and cities to transform and grow their networks of green spaces. 

The charity is also launching an apprenticeships scheme for 130 young people at locations round the country, in a range of careers including gardening and countryside management, as well as project management, information technology, finance and HR.