Santander and UK National Parks boost their partnership to restore biodiversity along North Yorkshire route - UK National Parks
- Santander UK announces a new initiative as part of its five-year partnership with UK National Parks to support the restoration of nature across some of the country’s most-loved landscapes.
- The bank will support the GrubsUp! project to restore habitats for pollinators along scenic North Yorkshire route.
- Since 2021, Santander and National Parks have been working together to highlight how nature restoration can help address climate-related issues and protect the economy.
A new project that will restore and connect vital wildlife sites surrounding one of North Yorkshire’s most scenic roads is now underway along the southern edge of the North York Moors National Park.
Linking Thirsk to Scarborough, the busy A170 winds its way through market towns and quaint villages and passes stunning woodland, pasture and farmland. Now, in a drive to connect these spaces, not just for people but for nature and wildlife too, new ‘insect super-highways’ will be created and cared for as part of GrubsUp!
The two-year project has received funding from Santander UK as part of the bank’s continued support of the UK’s protected landscapes and collaboration with National Parks Partnerships (NPP). Covering nearly 200 square miles, the project area focusses on a stretch of the Tabular Hills to the north of the A170, reaching Helmsley Moor in the west and Levisham and Dalby Forest in the east.
Holly Ramsden, GrubsUp Project Officer at the North York Moors National Park Authority, said: “Insect populations have seen alarming declines in abundance and species richness, to the point where nearly all of us have noticed a drop in butterflies visiting our gardens, less moths around streetlights and far fewer insects on our cars than there once were. These invertebrates are crucial to a healthy ecosystem, acting as important food sources for birds and small mammals. Pollinating insects also play a vital role in crop yield and quality and allow plants to produce fruit, seeds and new growth. This helps to keep our air clean, as during this process plants absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.”