Why National Parks Need Campaigners

National Parks sit at the heart of the UK’s countryside story. They are places of extraordinary beauty, cultural heritage and public value. They are also working landscapes shaped by policy and political priorities. For those working across conservation, planning, access, ranger services and landscape management, the reality is increasingly clear. Designation alone is not enough to protect nature or ensure these places thrive.

Campaign for National Parks exists to change that.

The Centenary Stone sits in the middle of a lake with mountains in the background. — Lake District’s Derwentwater Centenary Stone (Rod Hutchinson)

Founded in 1936, we are the only independent charity dedicated to securing the future of National Parks in England and Wales. Our first campaigns created National Parks. Today, inspired by that history, we work independently of government so that we can speak out for Protected Landscapes when others can’t, holding decision-makers to account and pushing for change grounded in evidence.

The need for that role has never been clearer. Despite covering more than 10% of land in England and Wales and holding the highest landscape designation, National Parks are not delivering for nature. Our in-depth National Park: Health Check Report concluded that only 6% of land is managed effectively for nature recovery. No English waterbody in a National Park is currently in good overall health. The majority of peatland is degraded, and tree cover remains far below what national targets demand. Shockingly, SSSIs in National Parks are, on average, in worse condition than those elsewhere.

The nature and climate crisis is the biggest threat we have ever faced: globally, nationally and locally. National Parks have the potential to make a significant contribution, especially as wildlife-rich landscapes are an essential part of the purposes for which these areas were designated.

A group of people stand on the tor. — Future Leaders Course participants on Dartmoor’s Bellever Tor (Harriet Gardiner)

This gap between ambition and reality is exactly why National Parks need campaigners. Our research and policy work is designed to provide a clear, credible evidence base. The National Park Health Check report was the first comprehensive assessment of whether National Parks are meeting their core purpose of conserving and enhancing natural beauty and wildlife. In 2025, our Rivers at Risk report exposed the scale of pollution affecting rivers, revealing that sewage works inside the National Parks are spilling sewage for twice as long as outside National Parks.

This evidence feeds directly into our campaigning. In 2023, after months of sustained work, we helped secure a major change to National Parks law through amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act. For the first time in decades, public bodies including water companies and regulators were given a legal duty to further the purposes of National Parks and National Landscapes. It was widely recognised as the biggest step forward in National Parks law for 30 years. We are now working hard to protect and strengthen that duty.

A person holds up sphagnum moss to the camera. — A staff member holds up sphagnum moss on Dartmoor, which is unique to peatland and can hold huge amounts of water (Harriet Gardiner)

At the same time, we know that policy change alone is not enough. The future of National Parks depends on who is involved, who feels ownership and whose voices shape decisions. Through National Parks: New Perspectives and future work with young people, we are supporting the next generation of campaigners and changemakers, particularly young people and those from backgrounds historically excluded from these spaces.

As broadcaster and environmentalist Mary-Anne Ochota said, “Engaging with young people is really important… and regularly, when I talk to other organisations, I say look at what Campaign for National Parks are doing and do something similar because it’s phenomenal and it’s a game changer.”

We are also looking beyond traditional boundaries. The sea remains a critical gap in the National Park story, which is why we are leading the journey towards the UK’s first designated National Marine Park. In Wales, we are supporting the proposal for a new Glyndŵr National Park, rooted in cultural heritage, community benefit and nature recovery.

Taken together, this work reflects both our vision of nature-rich National Parks for everyone and our mission to inspire action for wilder, more inclusive protected landscapes. Like many who work in and for these landscapes, we are driven by a love of National Parks as living places, shaped by nature, history and people. Our mission to inspire action for wilder, more inclusive protected landscapes is rooted in that connection.

A photo of a glacial lke, the trees reflecting into the water and mountains in the distance. — Llynnau Mymbyr a glacial lake in Eryri National Park (Sue Beaumont)

This is why our partnership with Countryside Jobs Service matters. CJS readers are the people working within the systems we are trying to improve. Rangers, planners, ecologists, access officers, policy leads and early-career professionals are all navigating the pressures and possibilities facing National Parks today. Our work aims to strengthen the framework within which that work happens, so that skills, commitment and innovation can deliver lasting impact.

There is much still to fix, but there is also real hope. National Parks remain one of our strongest tools for nature recovery, climate resilience and public connection with the natural world. With robust evidence, stronger law and a growing movement of people willing to speak up for these places, change is possible.

Campaign for National Parks exists to help make that change happen.

To sign up as a member or receive regular updates on the latest developments in National Parks, visit www.cnp.org.uk or follow us @Campaign4Parks. If you would like to be added to our Stand Up mailing list for those who work in National Park associated organisations, please contact us via email.