OUR NATIONAL PARK HEROES

An innovative live car park monitoring system, nature activity packs distributed via food banks and a ‘Bogtastic’ van are just some of the initiatives that have helped people connect with and protect our national parks in what has been a very challenging year.

These incredible efforts have this month been recognised as part of Campaign for National Park’s (CNP) Park Protector Awards, seeking to reward innovation and agility in the face of a global pandemic.

Every national park in England and Wales saw a huge increase in visitor numbers between lockdowns. They all faced similar challenges: how to manage this demand while protecting the landscape and local communities and adhering to Government guidance to restrict the spread of the pandemic. There was an added dimension of how to engage