The first of the King's National Nature Reserves is announced
In celebration of King Charles III's Coronation, Natural England has created a King’s Series of National Nature Reserves. The first location to receive the honour this summer has been revealed ahead of the crowning ceremony.
Paying homage the King's love for England's wildlife, natural and rural places, Natural England will name five new National Nature Reserves every year for the next five years, with 25 locations in total.
First up, the Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve will be declared by Natural England this summer. Spanning over 21 square miles, it contains a variety of sand dunes, saltmarsh, mudflats and freshwater marshes, which support animal and plant life.
Speaking about the new series, Chair of Natural England Tony Juniper said: "For more than five decades our King has been at the forefront of thinking about the need to restore our depleted natural world. He has highlighted the vital importance of sustainable agriculture, questions of water security, solutions to climate change and the urgency of moving to a circular economy inspired by nature. He’s helped make progress on all these and other subjects while having people’s wellbeing at the centre of his ideas.
"It is fitting that today Natural England begins the process of declaring 25 new National Nature Reserves that will be called the ‘King’s Series’, marking His Majesty’s Coronation and the new era of nature recovery that is now enshrined in national law and global agreements.
"The National Nature Reserves are the jewels in the crown of England’s nature and they are there for wildlife and people alike. The first one in this new series will be a very substantial area of protected habitat on the Lincolnshire coast, through which a section of the England Coast Path will soon be opened by Natural England."
The Coronation year will also see the very first National Nature Reserves Week which will take place from 20th to 29th May 2023. The remaining four National Nature Reserves for 2023/2024 will be named later this year. Watch this space...
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