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First in a new series of Climate Adaptation Plans unveiled for Somerset

Somerset Wildlife Trust, Glastonbury Town Council, and Glastonbury residents create bespoke climate plan to meet the effects of climate change head on.

Somerset Wildlife Trust is pleased to announce the launch of a new ‘Climate Adaptation Plan’ for Glastonbury, the first in a new series of toolkits to help communities across Somerset prepare for and adapt to the UK’s changing climate. 

With climate and nature emergencies being declared across the country, and the new UK Government recognising in their 2024 manifesto that these crises will be the greatest long-term global challenges, Somerset Wildlife Trust has been encouraging people across Somerset to prioritise climate adaptation — a process that involves preparing for the future effects of climate change, which may include extreme weather events such as flooding, heatwaves, and drought. 

The Trust has been piloting a new process called ‘Act to Adapt’ to help communities across Somerset better understand climate adaptation and the changes they can make to prepare for the climate extremes facing the county. Since October 2023, the charity has been working with Glastonbury Town Council, with funding from the Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA), to complete the first new climate adaptation plan for Somerset, which has been created for Glastonbury through collaboration with local residents, business owners, and other organisations. 

The final plan identifies four key themes and priority adaptation actions, chosen by Glastonbury residents, with comprehensive advice on how these changes can be implemented. The key themes identified in the plan are: 

  1. Planting more trees and plants 

  1. Adapting to flooding 

  1. Installing green walls and roofs 

  1. Engaging with local planning 

Natalie Barnett, Climate Adaptation Officer at Somerset Wildlife Trust, said: “Due to its long coast and large areas of low-lying land, Somerset is unfortunately one of the UK’s most climate-vulnerable areas, and it’s facing risks including sea-level rise, river flooding, and drought. Working with communities across Somerset through the Act to Adapt process has allowed us to explain what these risks might actually mean for people and businesses, and how their day-to-day lives might be affected. Climate change stirs deep emotions, but we can’t shy away from this crucial conversation. Facing the reality of extreme weather and its impacts on our communities is essential. By normalising discussions about climate concerns, climate adaptation and encouraging action, we’re taking a vital step forward. 

“This process has been all about working with communities — we’ve built plans around local concerns and ideas, which naturally leads to stronger communities, increased biodiversity, and improved wellbeing. It has been such a pleasure to have been involved in this project so far, and we’re absolutely delighted to be able to launch this Climate Adaptation Plan for Glastonbury!” 

Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) Chair Councillor Mike Stanton added: “Across Somerset floods have been increasing in intensity and unpredictability because of climate change. Hence why one of the new objectives in the SRA Strategy 2024-34 is to ‘increase the resilience of people, places and the environment to flooding, while adapting to climate change’. So the SRA has been helping people in Glastonbury to work together on local ideas for achieving that objective with this new Climate Adaptation Plan. It’s a fascinating piece of work. It covers many parts of the town, right down to individual ponds, bus shelters and toilet blocks. If you’ve been not involved so far, please do get involved now!” 

Somerset Wildlife Trust and Glastonbury Town Council will be unveiling the final version of Glastonbury’s Climate Adaptation Plan at an in-person event on the 24th August, where Glastonbury residents are invited to see the plan, ask any questions they may have, and share tips and advice to start implementing key changes for the town. This event will be held at St John’s Church between 4:30pm – 7:00pm. Next year, the Trust will also be organising an ‘Adaptation Blitz’, where local people will be involved to come together to implement as many of the plan’s actions as possible. 

The Act to Adapt process is also currently being delivered in the following communities, with plans to expand further across Somerset in the future: 

  • Burnham-on-Sea & Highbridge 
  • Minehead 
  • The Polden Hills 
  • Wells 
  • Spaxton
  • Martock 

You can download a copy of the final Climate Adaptation Plan for Glastonbury and learn more about Act to Adapt by visiting www.somersetwildlife.org/act-to-adapt 

Editor’s notes

Press Office

Emily Weatherburn | emily.weatherburn@somersetwildlife.org | 07840 840737  
Ben Neenan | ben.neenan@somersetwildlife.org | 07548 764279 

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Somerset Wildlife Trust, 34 Wellington Rd, Taunton TA1 5AW 
Somersetwildlife.org 

Somerset Wildlife Trust 

Somerset Wildlife Trust is a nature conservation charity. Its purpose is to restore and protect the populations of species across the county and the habitats they call home. Climate change is one of the greatest threats to nature, natural habitats and the ecosystems that support our life on earth.  Our aims are to help address both the ecological and climate crises and put nature back into people’s lives.  

Nature reserves and protected sites on their own are not enough. In order to reverse the decline in species diversity and abundance, and create resilient landscapes and habitats for wildlife and for people that can adapt to climate change, we need to:   

  • Encourage and support landowners to manage their land positively for nature; create more space for nature.  

  • Connect wildlife-rich spaces across the wider landscape to create a robust Nature Recovery Network for Somerset.  

  • Create a movement of people – at least 1 in 4 – that take action for nature’s recovery across Somerset as part of Team Wilder.   

This is at the core of our new 10-year strategy. Nationally the Wildlife Trusts are calling for at least 30% of land to be managed positively for nature by 2030. What we do in Somerset must contribute to that national ambition. You can read our full 10-year strategy, Wilder Somerset here.

Act to Adapt

Somerset Wildlife Trust’s Act to Adapt process is supporting communities across Somerset to adapt to climate change through a series of collaborative events. Communities create and implement a climate adaptation plan to proactively respond to climate threats in their local area whilst building community, supporting local wildlife, and increasing wellbeing. We help communities to identify risks, workshop solutions, and take bold steps to adapt to a changing world. 

Climate Adaptation

‘Climate adaptation’ refers to humans adapting to life in a changing climate and adjusting to the actual or expected future climate. Adaptation encourages everyone to think about our climate future and plan ahead for predicted scenarios such as, for example, if the rate of sea level rise increases or more droughts or storms occur. The goal is to reduce vulnerability to the harmful effects of climate change such as higher sea levels, more extreme weather events, or food insecurity. You can read more about Somerset Wildlife Trust’s climate adaptation work here. 

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