Nature restoration is more than bringing back biodiversity. It’s about respecting local knowledge and incorporating the perspectives of farmers, landowners and communities.

Social science guides us in understanding how people engage with nature, revealing how people connect with the land, the meanings they attach to it and how restoration efforts can truly support their lives.  This approach makes change collaborative rather than imposed – a partnership that respects and empowers those central to our landscape.   

It ensures that any changes are inclusive and sustainable for both nature and the people who depend on it. 

In these upland regions of eastern Cumbria, where farming traditions stretch back centuries, the concept of change can be challenging.  Traditional practices like commons grazing and hefting – where sheep are instinctively tied to specific areas of the landscape – and countryside skills such as drystone walling and hedgelaying, are woven into the identity of our local farming communities. 

Our social science research brings together farmers’ voices to highlight what matters most to them, ensuring that their values and knowledge sit at the heart of nature restoration work. 

Farming plays a vital role in delivering nature-based solutions.  From enhancing biodiversity and safeguarding water sources to sequestering carbon, these practices help to sustain healthy ecosystems.  

Through the Cumbria Connect programme, farmers are championed as nature’s frontline allies in tackling climate change, reducing flood risks and enriching the environment.   

We believe in collaboration. By working side-by-side with farmers, landowners and our local communities, together, we’re building a landscape that’s resilient, vibrant and ready for the future.

It’s about finding that sweet spot where ecological restoration and cultural heritage coexist, creating landscapes that work for both people and wildlife.