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Relaunch of community network supports landowners across Somerset to manage their land for nature

A user-led community network hosted by Somerset Wildlife Trust will celebrate an exciting relaunch this summer, and landowners, smallholders, and community groups managing land for nature across the county are invited to get involved.

The Private & Community Nature Reserves (PCNR) Network is a user-led group hosted by Somerset Wildlife Trust which provides peer-to-peer support for people who own or manage land primarily for nature — including landowners, smallholders, and community groups. It will be celebrating an official relaunch on Saturday 6th July, uniting like-minded individuals to help achieve more for nature’s recovery in Somerset. 

Currently just 10% of Somerset’s landscapes can be classified as being in ‘good natural or semi-natural condition’. Somerset Wildlife Trust works with communities, landowners, and farmers across the county to make more space for nature by restoring and reconnecting habitats to form part of a national Nature Recovery Network. Through the PCNR Network, landowners and land managers are able to collaborate and share ideas on how their land can act as a vital stepping stone for wildlife and deliver benefits for nature, people, and climate.

The PCNR Network was first set up in the 1990s, with members supporting each other over the decades to manage their land for nature. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic paused the activities of the Network, but it will be celebrating its official relaunch this July, and Somerset Wildlife Trust is inviting both pre-existing members and those interested in learning more about the Network to join them on the day, which will include a guided walk on Chancellor’s Farm, a permit-only Somerset Wildlife Trust reserve not usually accessible to the public. 

About the Relaunch Event: 

Date: Saturday 6th July 2024 

Time: 11am – 3pm 

About: Join Somerset Wildlife Trust for the official relaunch of the Private & Community Nature Reserves (PCNR) Network, which supports landowners and land managers in Somerset to manage land primarily for nature. The relaunch event is open to both pre-existing members and those completely new to the group and will include: 

  • An introduction from Somerset Wildlife Trust’s Director of Nature Recovery, James Grischeff, who will discuss how the PCNR Network plays an important role for nature’s recovery in Somerset. 

  • An open space session for attendees to network and share ideas around nature-friendly land management. 

  • A guided walk around Somerset Wildlife Trust’s Chancellor’s Farm, a permit-only nature reserve, which will be led by Central Mendip Reserves Manager at the Trust, James Ozolins. 

  • A tour of Easton Wildlife Groups local community projects. 

Hannah Paddison, Volunteering & Community Support Officer at Somerset Wildlife Trust, says: “We’re really excited to be hosting the relaunch of the PCNR Network! The group provides so many benefits for people who want to support nature on their land. Through the Network, members can collaborate, share the challenges and successes they’ve experienced, arrange to visit each other’s reserves, and benefit from dedicated support from Somerset Wildlife Trust through tailored training and resources. The PCNR Network really has been a valuable resource for previous members, and we see the huge potential to support even more land managers to take action for nature and collectively play a vital role in connecting up habitats. This relaunch event is the perfect opportunity to find out more about what the PCNR Network might be able to offer landowners that manage their land to deliver for nature at this critical time, so please do come along if you’re interested in learning more!” 

The PCNR Network is a user-led group hosted by Somerset Wildlife Trust. The relaunch of the PCNR Network is partly funded by the Mendip Hills and Quantock Hills National Landscapes via Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) funding. 

You can find out more about the PCNR Network relaunch event and book your place by visiting the Somerset Wildlife Trust website.

Book your place

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Editor's notes

Further information

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 
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About 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. 

About the Nature Recovery Network

A Nature Recovery Network is a joined-up system of places important for wild plants and animals, on land and at sea. It allows plants, animals, seeds, nutrients and water to move from place to place and enables the natural world to adapt to change, but it can only do this effectively if, like our road network, it is treated as a joined-up whole.

The Wildlife Trusts want to create a national Nature Recovery Network that would stretch across the UK and include Local Wildlife Sites (LWSs), nature reserves, and parts of National Parks. This would establish corridors for wildlife to move between, joining up habitats like peat bogs, heaths, meadows, road verges, parks, gardens, hedges, and woodlands, as well as rivers, lakes, and streams. You can find out more about Nature Recovery Networks here.