About the Project

This initiative aims to raise awareness of the special nature of Cumbria’s mountain landscapes. The Flora of the Fells project is jointly-led by Cumbrian landscape charity, Friends of the Lake District and the government’s nature conservation advisors, Natural England. By focusing on the rare and not-so-rare plants of the county the project celebrates the county’s floral diversity and also promote public understanding of conservation issues in the Lake District and the North Pennines.

How does it do it?

The project is into its fifth year and intends to get its message across to a wide range of people including the farming community, local residents and visitors. There are a number of publications, awebsite, and the third festival runs from March till September 2008. A further element works with schools, developing resources which integrate the aims of the Flora of the Fells project into the national curriculum. Various opportunities are going to be built into the project for people to comment on its aims and also to give their views on how they would like to see fells changed.

Who's involved?

The project is funded by Friends of the Lake District, Natural England and the Lake District Sustainable Development Fund. Its approach is very much one of partnership. Its work covers areas of many other organisations such as the Lake District National Park Authority, the National Trust and the Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Any organisation with an interest in the flora of the fells and sustaining Cumbria’s mountain landscapes is invited to participate in the project.

Vision for the future

A major part of the project is to get people thinking about the future and how flora of the fells can be enhanced. Landscape is always changing and there are some exciting things happening in Cumbria’s mountain landscapes today. The Flora of the Fells Project aims to highlight these good ideas and inspire thinking about how the biodiversity of our mountains might be improved in the future.