Welcome to our latest newsletter. 

 In this issue:

• Whispers of the Hills...
• Helping communities to care for the natural environment in their local area.
• ‘Thriving in Balance with Nature’ – close of public consultation on new 5 year Plan
• Farmers share their motivations, methods and results
• Congratulations, Knight, winner of TMI Student Awards
• Home-grown talent inspiring the next generation
• An excellent season for the Shropshire Hills Shuttle Bus
• New Nature Recovery Map now open for consultation
• Supporting the sharing of experience on protected landscapes between the UK and France.
• Shropshire’s Great Outdoors Strategy 2025 - survey

Whispers of the Hills...

This summer, we supported a series of field trips and creative workshops aimed at giving new and underserved community groups in Telford & Wrekin an opportunity to explore the Shropshire Hills. This is part of Nature Calling, a national programme of art commissions led by the National Landscapes Association.

Our project, Whispers of the Hills, has been led by Pneuma Affinity, a newly established CIC rooted in the principles of Creative Health. Ceramicist and environmental educator, Roz Donati, has helped participants from Telford & Wrekin CVS, My Options, Park Lane Centre and Challenging Perceptions to explore the rich history, geology and natural beauty of this special landscape.

Field trips to Wenlock Edge and the Darnford Valley were led by members of our team who talked about the landscape, farming, nature and local history.  Participants then worked with clay to capture a sense of place and made tiles to create stoneware pennant flags for a public display. Participants have loved exploring the Shropshire Hills and connecting with nature. The interactive activities have used therapeutic mindfulness techniques, making the learning process memorable and fun.

This autumn, there will be a public installation of the Whispers of the Hills flags in Telford Town Park. This artwork symbolises the threshold between urban Telford and the Shropshire Hills, marking Telford as a gateway into the Shropshire Hills. The installation will be launched by Telford’s Mayor with an invitation to all participants to come and see their finished work. View gallery of photographs

Helping communities to care for the natural environment in their local area.

Nine community projects have been supported by the Shropshire Hills Landscape Trust this year through their Conservation Fund. Grants, totalling just under £15,000, were awarded to practical projects with strong community engagement.  

The Trust was pleased to support the wildlife monitoring efforts of Morville Parish Council, building on pine martens and dormice survey work in nearby areas. They also supported the creation of a publicly accessible wildflower meadow at St George's, Pontesbury, and funded the Rea Valley Wildlife Group to deliver a programme of wildlife events for their local community.

People enjoying a guided wildflower walk, part of the Rea Valley Community Wildlife Group's Events Programme.

Two further projects are focused on butterfly conservation, involving volunteers in habitat restoration for the Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary in the Stiperstones area and the nationally significant Wood White butterfly populations around Bury Ditches Iron-Age hill fort. Other projects are enabling volunteers to monitor water quality in their local rivers and supporting work with all 65 burial grounds within the National Landscape to enhance their biodiversity value. A conference, 'The importance of burial grounds for nature' is being held on 31st October - details here.

Involving young people is also a priority for the Fund. The Trust was able to support three projects specifically aimed at helping young people appreciate the countryside, including the Hill Stories digital media project and the Youth Forum Rangers programme working with 11-18 year olds in the Clee Hill area. Read more about the projects here.

The Conservation Fund will reopen in October and will award the grants in March, ready for a series of new projects to start in April 2026. Read about 'how to apply' here.

‘Thriving in Balance with Nature’ – close of public consultation on new 5 year Plan

Workshop focusing on the Doughnut Economics and regenerative principles within the new Plan

The public consultation period on the new draft Shropshire Hills Management Plan 2025-2030 has now closed.   A range of views have been expressed on various topics including affordable housing, water quality, farming, nature, planning protection and action for climate change.  Comments received are being considered and refinements made. The Plan then goes to Natural England for formal observations and to the Cabinets of the two Councils for formal approval towards the end of the year.

We started developing the Plan with our Partnership two years ago.  These discussions helped to shape the Plan around six key themes – Nature, Climate, Water, Land, People and Place.  Over the consultation period we delivered a detailed presentation on the Plan to ten different groups of key stakeholders, reaching several hundred people. The presentation is available online, along with a two minute audio summary to introduce the Plan. 

Thank you to everyone, including our Young Rangers, who have contributed to the process so far. Although the formal consultation period has ended, we will be able to take into account further comments up to the end of September, which should be submitted by email to shropshirehills-nl@shropshire.gov.uk.

Click here to go to new draft Shropshire Hills Management Plan 2025-2030

Farmers share their motivations, methods and results

We are in the 5th year of running the Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme and have reached the milestone of having received our 200th application this month.  The programme is for farmers and land managers in the Shropshire Hills National Landscape to apply for grants to deliver activity around: helping to support nature recovery, tackling climate change, providing opportunities for people to discover the landscape and its cultural heritage and protecting or improving the quality and character of a place We have 43 projects 'in progress' so far this year (2025-26), with others in the pipeline and we are on target to spend our £1 million grant allocation from Defra. You can read about how the programme is supporting farmers in the Shropshire Hills at Read about the work of local farming families.

Congratulations, Knight, winner of TMI Student Awards

We are delighted that our team member, Knight Sedhain, was announced winner of the 2025 TMI Student Awards (Tourism Management Institute).  The award recognises the outstanding student contributions made to the tourism industry by showcasing their work, gaining important recognition both for themselves and their university, and illustrating how they make an impact in the evolving world of travel and tourism.

Knight, a third-year tourism management student at University College Birmingham, joined our team in February on a 2-day a week placement. He contacted us following a university field trip to the Shropshire Hills which was led by our Sustainable Tourism Officer, Nigel McDonald. Knight works closely with Nigel, supporting tourism work across the Shropshire Hills and getting closely involved in helping to run our seasonal Shuttle Bus service and supporting our community arts project ‘Whispers of the Hills’.

Knight was able to use the experience from his work placement in the National Landscape to deliver a passionate and innovative presentation showing real-world impact from concept to implementation. He demonstrated a mature understanding of sustainable tourism development, aligning his work to the Visitor Economy Strategy and understanding the need ‘to balance tourism, conservation and community benefit.’

Congratulations Knight, and thank you for your hard work, dedication and good humour you bring to the team. 

Home-grown talent inspiring the next generation

Earlier this month we celebrated Youth in Parks Day with our Europarc friends. It was a chance to showcase some of the excellent work being done by young people in protected landscapes across Europe. In the Shropshire Hills, Young Ranger, Jacob Wood, led a brilliant green wood-working workshop for his fellow Young Rangers. The group was totally absorbed, honing their green woodworking skills with focus and flair. Our Young Rangers programme provides great opportunities for young people to learn, lead and work directly on conservation projects in the Shropshire Hills. Jacob's peer-led workshop is a great example of home-grown talent inspiring the next generation!  For more information about the Young Rangers Programme, please visit our website - the autumn/winter activities will be listed soon.

An excellent season for the Shropshire Hills Shuttle Bus

“I should like to say a heartfelt thank you to the Shuttlebus Driver and his very pleasant, helpful assistant. I caught the 1.15 bus from Snailbeach. It was a beautiful day and I was in dire need of some downtime. I completed the round trip and was more than rewarded by this excellent journey.

The sun shone, the driving was exemplary, courteous and careful.  Stopping so that we could soak in the amazing views and advising us as to what it was we were seeing in the distance. Snippets of local information were also given in a gentle manner.  

Our "Conductor" was equally good.  Ensuring everyone was happy and also giving snippets on local knowledge.  Helping elderly passengers on and off.  What an excellent service I do so hope it will continue next year.”  Feedback from a recent passenger.

Our weekend Shuttle Bus is a perfect day out in the heart of the Shropshire Hills, whether you're keen to explore on foot, or just go for one of the most scenic bus rides in the UK. We’ve had a great season with passenger numbers and income exceeding last year’s excellent service. A new digitised ticket machine has given us data about how passengers are using the service, which will help to identify where any efficiencies or changes can be made for next year.

The last running day this year is 28^th September. On this day the bus will start at 12 noon from Carding Mill Valley, as the Burway section of the route is closed for the morning.

New Nature Recovery Map now open for consultation

Wetland creation, photograph by Sarah Jameson

The draft Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) has been published and the consultation focuses on two key resources:

• A strategy document outlining county-wide priorities for nature recovery.
• An interactive map showing where nature is thriving and where targeted action could deliver the greatest benefits for wildlife, water, soil and climate resilience.

The LNRS identifies key opportunities for supporting nature across the region — and could influence future environmental funding and land management decisions. This is your chance to see what is being suggested and help shape the final strategy. Residents, landowners, community groups, environmental organisations, town & parish councils and businesses across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin are all encouraged to review the new interactive map and strategy and share their views as part of the consultation to help make the strategy as good as possible.

Consultation closes: 15 October 2025. View the map and submit feedback at www.shropshire.gov.uk/lnrs. Questions? Contact: lnrs@shropshire.gov.uk

Supporting the sharing of experience on protected landscapes between the UK and France.

Phil Holden the National Landscape team manager recently completed a 1,500km solo cycle ride across France from St-Malo to Nice, visiting 15 Parcs Naturels Régionaux (roughly equivalent of our National Landscapes).  In two weeks, he biked south from Brittany across the Loire, then through the Massif Central to Grenoble, before heading south through the Vercors into Provence, and via the Verdon Gorge to Nice, returning by train.

Phil reflected that “Travelling right across France it was fascinating to see how the landscapes change, and many of the places were new to me.  At a bike pace you can really see and sense what’s around you.  The idea of the trip started just as a bike ride and this turned out to be a significant challenge, but through support from contacts in France I was also lucky enough to meet people from the teams of most of the Parks, and I had some lovely welcomes and interesting conversations.”

Through the ride Phil has raised over £2,000, which will enable two young professionals from protected landscape teams in the UK or France to receive a bursary to make a study visit to protected landscapes in the other country in 2026, on a topic of their choice. The youth scholarship bursary is open for applications until 31st October, details at EUROPARC Atlantic Isles » 2026 UK-France study visit bursary.

Phil was inspired to think that his own journey will lead to some more people experiencing a good exchange between the UK and France. We face many of the same challenges - how to meet people's needs within planetary boundaries, how our communities can live sustainably in rural areas, how we shift to regenerative local economies, and how we use land wisely for people and nature. Protected landscape teams and partnerships are working on all these things and more, and we need to help our younger team members develop the skills and knowledge for the future. There are things to learn from both the similarities and the differences in our different countries.

Any donations to boost the bursaries are still very welcome, at https://www.justgiving.com/page/phil-holden-1.

Shropshire’s Great Outdoors Strategy 2025 - survey

Shropshire residents are being urged to take part in a vital public survey that will help shape the future of the county’s outdoor spaces. Whether you’re a weekend walker, a cycling enthusiast, a nature lover, or simply someone who enjoys a peaceful picnic in the park—your voice matters.  The Shropshire’s Great Outdoors Strategy 2025 Survey is your chance to influence how local green spaces, rights of way, and outdoor recreation are managed and improved over the coming years. From footpaths and bridleways to country parks and nature reserves, the strategy aims to reflect the needs and aspirations of the people who use them.  The survey closes at the end of September. The feedback gathered will directly inform policies and investment decisions, ensuring Shropshire’s outdoor spaces remain accessible, sustainable, and enjoyable for all. Complete survey.

Protecting and regenerating the Shropshire Hills for everyone to enjoy. 

You can find out more by visiting our website www.shropshirehills-nl.org.uk or contact us:

Shropshire Hills National Landscape Team
Unit 5, Drovers House,
Auction Yard,
Craven Arms,
Shropshire SY7 9BZ.

Telephone: 01743 254740

Email: shropshirehills-nl@shropshire.gov.uk

Meet the National Landscapes family! There are 38 National Landscapes across England and Wales national-landscapes.org.uk/national-landscapes

The Shropshire Hills National Landscape Team is hosted by Shropshire Council and funded also by Defra, Telford & Wrekin Council and project funders.

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