In March 2026, West Lakeland Farmer-Led Nature Recovery CIC (WLCIC) was delighted to secure funding from The National Lottery Community Fund – an exciting opportunity to support our ongoing work to understand, protect and enhance the natural environment across our local uplands.
Understanding Our Upland Habitats
The funding will help us complete our habitat assessment mapping by working once again with H&H to carry out assessments on the freehold fells of Wasdale Head.
Building a clearer picture of the habitats across these landscapes is an important step towards supporting nature recovery while maintaining the traditional farming practices that have shaped our uplands for generations. By improving our understanding of the land, we can help inform future decisions and identify opportunities to support thriving habitats alongside sustainable upland farming.
Connecting Our Community with Upland Farming
But this project is about more than the land itself – it’s also about the people and communities who live, work and enjoy these special places.
The funding provides a fantastic opportunity for us to reach out to the wider community, share our knowledge and raise awareness of the vital role farmers play in caring for our upland landscapes.
We have already delivered talks and presentations exploring upland farming, the challenges it faces and the important contribution farmers make to nature recovery. Building on this, we’re planning even more activities for summer 2027, including educational market stalls and community engagement events.
These events will give people the chance to learn more about upland farming, discover how local farmers are working to support nature and find out why farming and nature recovery go hand in hand.
Looking Ahead
We’re excited to build on this work, bringing together local knowledge, habitat assessments and community involvement to help shape a positive future for our uplands.
A huge thank you to The National Lottery Community Fund for supporting this project. With their help, we can continue working towards a landscape where nature recovery, traditional farming and thriving rural communities go hand in hand.