Making Space for Nature in Kent and Medway

Making Space for Nature (MS4N) is the project through which the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for Kent and Medway is being developed. Local Nature Recovery Strategies will be drawn up under the 2021 Environment Act, to deliver on the government’s commitment to ending the decline of nature and supporting its recovery.  The local nature recovery strategy for Kent and Medway will be one of 48 in total – together these will cover the whole of England, with no gaps or overlaps, creating a coordinated network of nature recovery action across the country – this is the first time this joined up approach has been attempted, and offers exciting and ambitious recovery possibilities for our struggling natural environments.

So, what will the LNRS include? The purpose of the LNRS is to identify areas where the creation or improvement of habitats will return the most benefit for both nature, and importantly also for the wider environment, including water and air quality, and the health and wellbeing of Kent’s residents. This mapping will take into consideration the wonderful biodiversity we already have, mapping both common and rare habitats and species, and consider the extensive recovery work that is already happening across the county. Once MS4N know where they are starting from, they can better plan ahead for what still needs to be done.

A central tenet to the development of the LNRS is that it must be developed using a thoroughly bottom-up approach, and calls for extensive and diverse stakeholder engagement in order to see it to fruition. You can have the opportunity to input into the strategy development process in a number of ways – from taking part in surveys that help MS4N gather vital data about the natural environment in Kent and what matters to you, to participating in working groups and workshops across the coming 20 months. If you would like to get involved, you can register as a stakeholder and MS4N will keep you up to date with all the latest developments. This is an exciting opportunity for nature recovery in our beautiful county, and MS4N hope you will join with them to create the LNRS for Kent and Medway. 

You can find more information is available on the Making Space for Nature in Kent and Medway website.