News

Nature is at the heart of natural beauty, and the AONB Family have made a pledge to redouble our efforts to help species, habitats and ecosystems to recover.

With many Councils declaring environment and climate emergencies, the National Association for AONBs launched in July the Colchester Declaration. This says that nature has intrinsic value and huge value to people, that nature recovery needs to be given a higher priority alongside climate change, and that the network of AONBs, their teams, partnerships, authorities and stakeholders are a valuable tool for tackling environmental challenges. We will support more opportunities for people to connect with nature, prepare a Nature Recovery Plan for the AONB, embed an ecosystems services approach into our plans, work with our partners towards Net Zero carbon emissions by 2030, ensure favourable condition of more wildlife habitats and create new woodland.

Each AONB will also adopt a threatened species and take action aiming to secure its recovery by 2030. We welcome your views on what the adopted species for the Shropshire Hills AONB should be. Perhaps the Curlew or Wood White butterfly? Should it be something well-known, or highlight less obvious species we have? The White-clawed Crayfish, the Marsh Flapwort (a plant), or the rare species of Cranefly only found here? Whinchat, Dormouse, Black Poplar?? We will be putting out suggestions on social media and we welcome your ideas – your favourites, and how we should decide. Through this, we can all learn and appreciate more about the amazing wildlife of the Shropshire Hills and what it needs to thrive.