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The potential activities below could be done by partnerships and connectors to help achieve Dorset’s nature recovery priorities. Select the titles to see what potential activities could help achieve each priority. 

1. Priority 1 Grasslands
2. Priority 2 Woodlands
3. Priority 3 Heathlands
4. Priority 4 Rivers, lakes and wetlands
5. Priority 5 Coastal
6. Priority 6 Urban
7. Priority 7 Farming
8. Priority 8 Natural processes
9. Priority 9 Nature-based solutions
10. Priority 10. Nature connection
11. Priority 11 Species abundance and diversity

Priority 1 Grasslands

Potential activities for grasslands include:

  • create more species-rich grassland habitats

Priority 2 Woodlands 

Potential activities for woodlands include:

  • establish new woodlands consistent with the UK Forest Standard, applying the ‘right tree, right place’ principle. Ideally create new woodland that buffers, expands and links existing woodlands, especially ancient woodlands
  • source and use a diverse range of bio-secure trees and plants for tree and woodland establishment projects. Use a broad and mixed palette suited to objectives. Consider the use of native, near native and non-native species to ensure resilience
  • enhance and create hedgerows to ensure a diverse mix of tree and hedgerow plants and stagger the management cycle

Priority 3 Heathlands

Potential activities for heathlands include:

  • restore dry and wet heath habitats to improve ecosystem function, restoring wet heaths and valley mires alongside dry heaths allows natural hydrological processes to function. In some places this will enable peat formation, which in turn captures and stores carbon
  • reduce the risk of fires to protect precious heathland habitats and prevent wildfire spreading to nearby homes and communities. For example, raising awareness that it’s illegal to barbecue on heathlands or sharing practical advice for people to protect their homes from wildfire
  • reduce pressures from recreational disturbance on heathlands. For example, providing suitable alternative natural greenspaces (SANGs) and raising awareness of ways people can enjoy heathlands responsibly by continuing the work of Dorset Heaths Partnership

Priority 4 Rivers, lakes and wetlands

Potential activities for rivers, lakes and wetlands include:

  • restore and enhance chalk streams and winterbourne streams and the important species they support
  • reconnect rivers to their historic floodplain and re-establish dynamic wetland habitats
  • carry out river restoration. For example, re-meander rivers that have been straightened to allow the water to take a natural path or put natural materials into the river channel to slow the flow of water (leaky dams)
  • restore and ‘re-wet’ peatlands to provide wildlife habitat and act as sponges that filter water to improve water quality, regulate water flow, increase flood protection and improve carbon storage
  • introduce mixed age cyclical reed cutting into reedbed management plans where possible, creating mixed age reed stands and enhancing habitats. Explore the potential to use materials from reedbed management to supply bioenergy, or once water quality improves, the thatching industry to help reduce its carbon footprint
  • reduce the risk of prescription medication reaching and polluting waterways, by taking medications according to prescription and using pharmacies to dispose of any medications that are no longer required

Priority 5 Coastal

Potential activities for coastal include:

  • create new areas of intertidal habitats such as salt marsh and mudflats in response to sea levels rising against fixed flood and coastal erosion defences (coastal squeeze)
  • create new coastal habitats inland as part of managed realignment to accommodate and compensate for the expected shift of coastal systems towards the land as sea levels rise
  • pull back from intensive farming in fields close to cliff edges, to create space for cliff top habitats and wildlife to survive and move as the coastline recedes through cliff falls and landslips

Priority 6 Urban

Potential activities for urban include:

  • create more nature-rich spaces in nurseries, schools, colleges and universities. For example, gardens or allotments for students to grow plants and food, and wildflower strips around sports fields
  • increase tree canopy cover by establishing and maintaining more trees in gardens, parks, and along streets, focusing on areas that have the lowest tree equity scores. For Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, follow the guiding principles outlined in BCP Urban Forest Strategy
  • explore opportunities to convert underused streets or neglected areas into small ‘pocket parks’
  • protect and enhance green corridors that connect up nature areas to help wildlife travel through towns, and often provide trails for people to travel along too

Priority 7 Farming

Potential activities for farming include:

  • work with neighbours to take an integrated approach to managing cross-holding features such as hedges, buffer strips, margins, water courses and slopes
  • work with neighbouring farms and other partners to coordinate nature recovery activities across the landscape and share equipment and knowledge. For example, by joining a farmer cluster or landscape scale recovery project
  • support initiatives that improve marketing of local sustainable produced food, and help connect farmers and consumers
  • support farmers and land managers to work together to enable efficient woodland management, sale of timber wood products and best practice on management and biosecurity

Priority 8 Natural processes

Potential activities for natural processes include:

  • allow water to flow naturally across the landscape, for example, re-meander straightened rivers, stage zero river restoration, restore small flushes and ponds, and recreate wet areas within other habitats like grassland, woodland and heathland

Priority 9 Nature-based solutions

Potential activities for nature-based solutions include:

  • follow a natural flood management (NFM) approach to protect, restore and emulate the natural functions of catchments, floodplains, rivers and the coast
  • enhance and create habitats to help mitigate climate change, natural habitats capture and store carbon. Peatland, broadleaved woodland and saltmarsh are examples of habitats that tend to be larger carbon stores, but many other habitat types provide some carbon storage, and a variety of habitats is needed for a functioning ecosystem
  • create wetlands to provide final treatment of wastewater before this recycled water is safely returned back into the environment
  • create new wetlands to treat discharges of untreated sewage from storm overflows before they are released into rivers and waterways
  • enhance and create hedgerows that slow the flow of water across the landscape, which helps reduce flood risk and improve water quality by reducing the amount of sediment and pollution in rivers. Hedges are also a carbon store, as well as providing wildlife habitats and corridors
  • create buffer strips near waterbodies on farms to reduce sediment and chemicals entering water
  • maintain and increase green social prescribing, supporting people to take part in nature-based activities that can help improve health and wellbeing
  • embed the importance of nature recovery across all organisations so that senior decision-makers champion nature and consider nature-based solutions as part of decision making

Priority 10 Nature connection

Potential activities for nature connection include:

  • showcase and champion the huge range of activities already happening for nature recovery in Dorset, and celebrate the people involved to help inspire others
  • continue and grow Dorset’s strong history of partnership working. For example, farm clusters, catchment based approach, and landscape recovery projects. Use this strategy as a tool to help target collaborative efforts, working together across sectors by listening without judgement, sharing knowledge and pooling resources
  • share successes and learning from trailblazing transformational landscape scale projects and enhance the collective efforts of farmers and landowners
  • support local farmers, landowners and land managers in their asks to government regarding support for sustainable farming or forestry practices
  • work with architects, builders and roofers to raise awareness of potential impacts of development on wildlife and the benefits of seeking ecological advice early in the design process
  • show how businesses can deliver nature recovery actions at different scales. For example, Sustainable Business Network, BCP Council Nature Pledge. Celebrate stories of businesses who success is based on working in harmony with a healthy natural environment
  • collaborate with recording groups and citizen scientists to explore how they can help measure progress and promote opportunities for more people to get involved, from annual wildlife count days to regular wildlife monitoring groups
  • share information on what people can do to help wildlife at home. For example, Dorset Wildlife Trust’s wildlife-friendly spaces award, BCP Council’s Nature Pledge
  • support communities to understand and celebrate any changes happening through habitat restoration. For example, information signs on footpaths and near projects, or volunteer days
  • raise awareness of ways people can enjoy nature, while minimising pressures this can put on wildlife. For example, Dorset Dogs
  • build on existing provision of nature related activities in nurseries, schools, colleges and youth clubs. For example, increase forest school for all students, assembly packs for eco clubs to deliver, trips to natural spaces and farms, on-site growing of food, plants and trees, resources for educators to embed nature recovery themes across all lessons/subjects, geo-caching
  • continue and expand the variety of nature-related activities in communities across Dorset, giving more time for people to connect with nature or get involved in nature conservation. For example, community gardening, pond-dipping experiences, natural arts and crafts, mindfulness sessions, outdoor physical activities
  • maintain and increase green social prescribing, supporting people to take part in nature-based activities that can help improve health and wellbeing, meet a diverse range of needs, and foster nature connectedness
  • acquire long-term funding to support project development, capital investment and ongoing maintenance of interventions
  • raise awareness of new funding for nature recovery activities and increase support to access funding where needed, for example, farm advisors, community fund finder
  • provide a clear approach for monitoring and reporting, so everyone can understand what ‘good’ looks like for different habitat types and species, and how to report on their activities to help track progress
  • make more space for nature nearby people’s homes, especially in areas where it is estimate 30% or less of the population live within a 300m walk of nature

Priority 11 Species abundance and diversity

Potential activities for species abundance and diversity include:

  • create a network of naturally functioning diverse habitats across the county, supported by more nature-friendly land management practices across all the surrounding areas by delivering the activities listed under all the other priorities in this strategy
  • make simple changes across Dorset to help increase species abundance, such as herbal leys and diverse seed mixes on farms, encouraging natural regeneration of woodlands, and leaving wilder areas in parks and open spaces
  • undertake targeted and sustained control of non-native and invasive plants and animals, for example, rhododendron, Himalayan balsam, snowberry, sour fig, cotoneaster, Japanese rose, giant hogweed and mink
  • coordinate landscape sale management of sustainable deer populations to improve the ecological condition of semi-natural habits, supporting the natural regeneration of trees, woody shrubs and ground flora, and to protect agricultural crops. Control muntjac deer, as a non-native invasive species. Within both Wareham and Purbeck focus management actions upon sika deer populations
  • coordinate shared approach to respond to ash dieback across land ownership boundaries
  • if plants or trees are lost to disease, re-plant with more resistant species but make sure these perform similar ecological functions and are native if possible
  • explore options for landscape scale management of grey squirrel populations and deliver this to improve ecological condition of woodlands and reduce pressures on other animals, such as mammals and birds. Include an evaluation of the feasibility for pine marten reintroduction
  • stop the spread of common wall lizard into new areas, particularly heathland. Raise awareness of how to identify the species and what people should do if found. Carry out surveys of new or spreading populations, to control before they become established
  • control Alpine newt, survey populations and stop their spread into new areas. Raise awareness of what people should do if they spot them and how to avoid accidentally helping them spread
  • raise awareness of how to quickly identify areas with newly colonised sour fig and rapidly control and remove the species to prevent it spreading
  • use native plant and tree species to support the local food web and wildlife, but also support the use of new species and varieties where these enhance ecological function and resilience to pests, diseases, climate change and extreme weather
  • increase connectivity between habitats to enable species to move in response to new climate pressures
  • raise awareness of species that might arrive in Dorset due to climate change or reintroduction projects to help people recognise them, understand why they have arrived and the potential benefits they might bring

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