Wild Peak Kick-Starts a Species-Rich Future for the Peak District - Derbyshire Wildlife Trust

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has successfully completed its ambitious ‘Restoration of lost habitats for a Wild Peak’ project, delivering wide-ranging benefits for nature, climate and communities across the Peak District, two years after securing £1.69 million from the Government’s Species Survival Fund.

The pioneering initiative, which ran from March 2024 to February 2026, set out to halt and reverse the decline of native species by restoring habitats at scale and reconnecting fragmented landscapes. Over the course of the project, the Trust worked with private landowners, from small sites to large estates and businesses, who are members of its Wild Peak Network, helping to deliver their own vision for nature recovery on their land.

Key habitats have been restored marking an important step in restoring lost species to the landscape. More than 10,000 trees were planted to increase woodland cover and connectivity, strengthening long-term prospects for species such as pine marten, and 70 hectares of species-rich meadow have been created or restored, providing vital habitat for pollinators and other wildlife, while strengthening the ecological resilience of the landscape.

Empowering communities to take action for nature in their own neighbourhoods has been central to the Wild Peak programme. Through its dedicated community grants scheme, co-funded by the Species Survival Fund and Severn Trent’s Great Big Nature Boost, the Trust has funded 26 locally led projects from schools, community groups and landowners, including pond and wetland creation, species reintroduction, improved access to wild spaces, and the installation of bat, bird and hedgehog homes.