Bowland Connects is a new partnership led by Ribble Rivers Trust and delivered alongside the Forest of Bowland National Landscape, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, RSPB, Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, Lancashire County Council, United Utilities and the Woodland Trust. Together, the partners are developing a long-term vision for nature recovery, and community engagement across the Forest of Bowland and its surrounding landscapes in the Ribble catchment.
Bowland Connects is currently in a pre-development phase, bringing partners, communities and stakeholders together to co-design a future programme of work. This stage will focus on gathering evidence, building partnerships, engaging local people and exploring opportunities to ensure that future priorities are shaped by both scientific knowledge and the lived experience of those who know the area best.
Supported by a £250,000 initial grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, this pre-development stage will enable communities, farmers, landowners and organisations to identify priorities for restoring habitats, strengthening rural skills, improving access to nature and creating a shared vision for the future. The work undertaken during this phase will inform a subsequent development stage, during which detailed plans, projects and investment proposals will be prepared.
Subject to the successful completion of these stages and securing further funding, Bowland Connects aims to progress to a full delivery phase, implementing a programme of landscape-scale environmental, heritage and community initiatives across the Bowland area.
The project seeks to create stronger connections between people and nature, helping to ensure that Bowland's landscapes, wildlife and cultural heritage continue to benefit local communities and future generations.
