Landscapes, parks and nature | The National Lottery Heritage Fund

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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.

Romney Marsh

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

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.

Landscapes, parks and nature

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.

A community growing area in Burry Port, a green space where people are growing food

A community growing area in Burry Port.

Projects

Creating local green spaces in Pembrey and Burry Port, Carmarthenshire

Dilapidated playgrounds and open urban land was transformed into community spaces to create local places for nature and people.

03/08/2020

A group of people standing in and looking at a garden with grass and flowers in an urban neighbourhood

Programme

Local Places for Nature Capital Fund

A grant scheme to enable communities in Wales to restore and enhance nature. Grants up to £250,000 available.

Volunteers tend to a planter in a residential area

Local volunteers maintain a planter in Riverside. Photo: SRCDC.

Projects

Breaking barriers to getting involving in greening Riverside, Cardiff

South Riverside Community Development Centre (SRCDC) involved local people in nurturing nature and protecting wildlife, building leadership skills and creating a local plan for nature.

01/11/2021

Workers chop down trees overhanging a stretch of overgrown canal

Restoring the Welsh section of the Montgomery canal included removing overhanging trees.

Projects

Luronium Futures: preserving rare plants on the Montgomery Canal

The Canal and River Trust’s project improved the condition of the Welsh stretch of the Montgomery Canal which is home to rare British wildlife species.

06/09/2021

An oyster in the water

Oysters are being restored to Conwy Bay.

Projects

Restoring the habitats of wild oysters in Conwy Bay

ZSL (Zoological Society of London) and Bangor University are restoring native oyster habitats in Conwy Bay to improve marine biodiversity, increase coastal resilience and re-connect people with their coastal heritage.

19/12/2022

A person holding a shell.

Programme

Nature Networks Fund (round three)

This fund aims to strengthen the resilience of Wales’ network of protected land and marine sites, building capacity to strengthen and upscale future delivery for nature, and actively encouraging community engagement.

A man from a Pakistani family background on a outdoor walk, wearing hiking gear. He stands in front of a pile of logs

Naveed Bakhsh. Photo: Lawrence Scott

Blogs

‘Heritage is a bridge that connects me to my South Asian and Scottish identities’

South Asian Heritage Month grounds Naveed to his community’s past. It also makes space to talk about how to engage British South Asians with the UK’s cultural and natural heritage.

03/08/2023

Northern Ireland Committee Chair Mukesh Sharma with Denise Murphy from The Woodland Trust at the new footbridge, which links Brackfield and Red Brae Woods.

Projects

Faughan Valley’s ancient woodlands open to the public

The Woodland Trust project is reconnecting people with the outdoors by using trees and woodlands to build a resilient landscape that’s a haven for wildlife.

13/03/2018

A wooden signpost pointing one way to Plymouth 300 miles away, and another way to the Tamara Coast to Coast route with Plymouth 87 miles away.

Signage at the end of the Tamara Coast to Coast.

Projects

New 87-mile walking route links Cornwall’s north and south coasts

Improved access and support for the community means that more people can discover this diverse natural landscape.

25/09/2018

Photograph of hands pointing at a map

My School, My Planet activities.

Projects

My School, My Planet: supporting schools and community groups to improve Walsall's natural heritage

My School, My Planet is helping 16 Walsall schools and community groups to learn about and improve their natural spaces and mitigate the effects of the climate crisis.

21/07/2022

Image showing the Clock Tower at the Horniman

Clock Tower at the Horniman.

Projects

Horniman gets the green light for transformational nature project

Described as a once-in-a-generation project, the Natural History Gallery and gardens will be redeveloped into a new and engaging space for all.

30/11/2021

An ariel view of Boston Manor in its parkland with lawns and trees

Boston Manor Park with the house nestled in the parkland.

Projects

Reconnecting Boston Manor Park to its house, history and the community

A four-year project has restored and reinterpreted Boston Manor Park, delivering significant improvements to the landscape, biodiversity and communities – who can now enjoy the open public space.

29/06/2017