Living Landscapes are large areas of the countryside like river valleys, forested ridges, whole estuaries or diverse mosaics of grasslands, hedgerows and heaths.  The vision of Living Landscapes is to bring these fragmented landscapes back to life; to work with a wide range of owners and partners so that these important areas can function as a whole so they benefit both wildlife and the people who live there.

 

Essex Wildlife Trust has mapped 80 Living Landscape areas across Essex.  All other wildlife trusts across the UK are producing similar maps and the big picture is a series of Living Landscapes linked together across the length and breadth of the UK.

 

The Essex Living Lanscape map is a powerful vision - but the map is only a start.  As a county we need to reconnect habitats and local people on the ground.  We need to restore habitats so that wildlife can flourish; restore the involvement of local people with their countryside so they can work for it, take pride in it and gain a better quality of life.

 

There are many pieces of research which demonstrate that a larger connected landscape is better for wildlife than smaller fragmented areas.  Overall it is about creating large, well connected, wildlife rich areas which are highly valued by the local communities which live and work in them and by visitors which come to enjoy them.  It is about ensuring the landscape and its ecosystem services are functioning well so that they are robust enough to deal with climate change and land use change so they can provide long term beenfits for both wildlife and people.