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Landscapes, parks and nature

Landscapes, parks and nature

People landscaping in a Japanese garden in Scotland, with a mountain in the background.
Landscaping in the Japanese Garden at Cowden, Scotland. Credit: Devlin Photo Ltd.
Looking after nature and helping people to understand its importance has never been more vital.

Since 1994 we have awarded over £2.1billion of National Lottery and other funding to more than 4,900 land, nature and biodiversity projects across the UK. 

Protecting the environment is one of our four Heritage 2033 investment principles. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. 

We are prioritising landscape and nature projects that:

  • support nature’s recovery
  • deliver nature-based solutions to address climate change
  • reconnect people to landscapes, marine environments and nature

The climate crisis

The heritage sector has an important role to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and tackling climate change. Find out more about what we're doing to tackle the climate crisis.

What we expect from projects we fund

We want all kinds of heritage project, large and small, to:

  • limit any potential damage on the environment
  • make a positive impact on the environment and particularly for nature

Read our environmental sustainability guidance.

How to get funding

Our National Lottery Heritage Grants funding programme is open, providing grants from £10,000 up to £10million.

Explore our available funding

Find out more

Discover what projects we fund, and what you could do with our investment to help protect our natural world.

A child holds a butterfly while a guide smiles at him

 

We support projects that conserve and enhance habitats and protect and preserve the UK's precious species.

What we fund

Romney Marsh

We expect successful projects to show how they will address the key challenges faced by the UK's landscapes and nature.

What we fund

Green roof of cafe

Public parks are facing a severe reduction in funding from local authorities. This is how we can help your parks and urban green spaces.

What we fund

The UK is world renowned for its wealth of historic designed parks, gardens and cemeteries. Here's how our funding can help look after them.

What we fund
View across Bishop Loch

News

Success for Seven Lochs

The funding will help take forward plans for the park, and support work on a second application for £4.2million of HLF funding to deliver the Seven Lochs vision.The Seven Lochs Wetland Park will span the Glasgow City and North Lanarkshire boundary between Easterhouse and Coatbridge. The area can
Birdwatching at Upton Heath

News

£2.7m for Dorset wildlife

The Great Heath Living Landscape is one of the largest conservation projects in the UK. The project, which will total £4.7million, will secure the protection and management of almost 1,500 acres of wildlife rich heathland, grassland, woods and wetland for the benefit of people and wildlife in Poole
CITIZAN volunteers recording foreshore archaeology

News

CITiZAN project secures Heritage Lottery Fund support

The public archaeology project aims to record the fragile, nationally important heritage of England’s coast and the foreshores of its tidal estuaries. Dramatic changes in weather patterns, demonstrated all too clearly by recent storms, floods and tidal surges, threaten to destroy irreplaceable
The water tower at the London Museum of Water and Steam

News

Ed Vaizey opens London Museum of Water and Steam

Following its £2.3million re-development grant, London’s greatest Victorian steam pumping station reopens under a new name. The London Museum of Water and Steam opens to the public on Saturday 22 March, (following a press launch on Friday 21 March), as part of the UN designated World Water Day
New Volunteer Development Officer, Ryan, with colleagues and volunteers from RSPB Bempton Cliffs

News

Barbados comes to Bempton Cliffs

Despite a biting wind and near freezing temperatures, the Bempton Cliffs team dug out their Hawaiian shirts to welcome their latest recruit, Barbados-born Ryan Chenery, as the reserve’s new Volunteer Development Officer. Keith Clarkson, Bempton Cliffs Site Manager, explained that Ryan’s appointment
Examples of YMCA stationery handed out so soldiers could stay in touch

News

Bradford YMCA to investigate Tea and Remembrance

The project will focus on the positive impact the YMCA made during the war through the provision of tea huts, providing much needed refreshment and respite for the troops. The project will run for a year and will have a 'home base' at Culture Fusion, on Thornton Road in Bradford’s city centre.Young
Wicksteed Lake in the 1920s

News

Wicksteed Park Lake project update

An amazing 50,000 cubic meters of lake silt has been moved. Roughly half has been taken out to dry on two sites within the park, the remainder has been fashioned to create a number of large reed beds around the margins of the lake as well as the islands. These new reed beds will help restore the
Orange tip butterfly on Ladys smock

News

Multimillion pound boost to save UK’s Magnificent Meadows

There were once natural wild flower meadows in every parish – today only 2% of the meadows that existed in the 1930s remain. Nearly 7.5million acres of wildflower meadow have been lost so far and they are still being destroyed. The Save our Magnificent Meadows Project: A £3million project which will
Girl looking at an orchid

News

Investing £5million in UK’s natural heritage

These projects will bring together a variety of partners to protect and nurture some of our most precious and vulnerable habitats and species and are part of a wider package of £16m of HLF support, also announced today. Carole Souter, Chief Executive of HLF, said: “The Heritage Lottery Fund is one
Visualisation of the Worsley Delph - part of the Bridgewater Canal redevelopment

News

Facelift for Bridgewater Canal

The historic canal, which opened in 1761 as Britain’s first commercial canal, is to undergo a major facelift. Salford City Council has been awarded a major slice of the total project costs from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) who today confirmed a £3.6m grant to regenerate nearly five miles of canal
The Dry Stone Walling project in Cumbria

News

Dry Stone Walling skills revival

The project aims to improve career prospects in dry stone walling by providing five training bursaries throughout the North West and offering support for established dry stone wallers to enhance their skills. Development funding of £8,300 has also been awarded to help the Dry Stone Walling
Discussing artefacts at the First World War Road Show, Morley Town Hall

News

Morley and the Home Front

Awarded through HLF’s First World War: then and now programme, the project will focus on the home front and how the onset of the Great War had significant impact on local life. Rachael Kennedy, Town Events Manager is leading on this project and explained: “This series of events will enable the local

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