Centre for National Parks and Protected Areas

The PLACE Collective at the Centre for National Parks and Protected Areas, University of Cumbria, is part of a new transdisciplinary hub looking to bridge the gap between science and policy to achieve Net Zero.

• The PLACE Collective is member of a winning consortium of 34 organisations awarded a £6.5 m government grant to establish a ‘Land Use for Net Zero’ (LUNZ) Hub.
• The LUNZ Hub aims to provide all four UK administrations with the rapid evidence they need to develop policies that will drive the UK land transformation required to achieve Net Zero by 2050.
• The consortium includes experts from research, farming and industry across issues including green finance, renewable energy, planning, soil health, afforestation and water management.
• The announcement comes with the launch of the LUNZ hub in Leicester, 16 January. https://le.ac.uk/news/2024/january/land-use-net-zero

The role of the PLACE Collective is to bring artists into the consortium to use a variety of creative lenses and multi-arts methods, with workshops, events and communications within and beyond the hub.

Harriet Fraser, co-founder of the PLACE Collective explains: “The PLACE Collective includes a diverse group of artists who bring a range of skills and methods to their environmentally-focused work. We look forward to participating in the development of the LUNZ Hub, and responding to the aspirations and needs of policy-makers and those directly engaged in land use and land management across all four nations. Over the life of the project, a number of artists will bring art into discussions and events within and beyond the consortium, encouraging new collaborations and using the power of storytelling to inspire change.”

 For inquiries, please contact harriet.fraser@cumbria.ac.uk.

Centre for National Parks & Protected Areas (CNPPA) benefits from the expertise of our independent Advisory Board, chaired by Dr. Rose O'Neill, Chief Executive of Campaign for National Parks. The Board was formed on 1st November 2023 and will meet bi-annually, with a remit to:

• Provide objective feedback on the Centre’s strategic development and act as a critical friend.
• Provide advice and guidance on CNPPA actions and activities.
• Advise upon individuals, organisations, and opportunities which could help support the Centre in its purpose and objectives.
• Champion and advocate for CNPPA across their own networks.

Read about the current CNPPA Advisory Board members here.

University of Cumbria’s Institute of Science and Environment offers part-time short courses for farmers, land managers and advisors, in topics relating to environmental land management in the uplands. Since the launch in 2023, over 60 participants have completed one or modules including 'Farm Business Opportunities', 'Mapping Environmental Assets' in partnership with Land App, and 'Upland Farming for Net Zero' in partnership with Farm Carbon Toolkit.

Across 2025 we’re offering 'Frameworks for Landscape Restoration' and further modules coming soon. Information about all of the course in the series can be found here.

Please let us know via this link if you’d like to be notified when applications open for future courses in this series. 

Issue 13, January 2025

Issue 12, Autumn 2024

Issue 11, Summer 2024

Issue 10, Spring 2024

Issue 9, Winter 2023

Issue 8, Autumn 2023

Centre for National Parks & Protected Areas (CNPPA) became a founding signatory to the Protected and Conserved Areas Joint Statement (PCAJS) at COP26 in Glasgow.

This is an international statement signed by a number of international national park organisations, government departments, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature's World Commission for Protected Areas (IUCN-WCPA).

The signing took place in the UK Pavilion at COP26 Friday 5^th November 2021. You can watch the recording on YouTube here 

Read the PCAJS Report. 

Literary Walking Tour of Carlisle | Launch Event | 27 October 2023

Free lecture | A Right to See the Stars: Bringing Outdoor Education to All the People | 25 January 2023, London

Prof Chris Loynes asks: Outdoor Education - what can it offer urban communities, and how to make it accessible and inclusive?

Public lecture recording - view here on YouTube.  

Cultural Landscapes Talk on Place Names - 7 November 2022, Ambleside

Envisaging landscapes and naming places: the Ordnance Survey name books and the Lake District

Speaker: Professor Fiona Edmonds, Lancaster University

This talk was hosted at University of Cumbria's Ambleside campus, brought to you by the Centre for National Parks & Protected Areas with The Armitt Library & Museum Centre. 

A 21st Century ‘People’s Charter’ for Nature, Access & Landscape: Panel Discussion - 31 October 2022

This online panel debate, in partnership with the Campaign for National Parks, will explored powers and legislation required for protected landscapes to address the overlapping crises of health, nature and climate.

The discussion was chaired by Julia Aglionby, Professor of Practice at University of Cumbria. Confirmed panellists include Rose O’Neill, Chief Executive of Campaign for National Parks, Sarah Mukherjee MBE, CEO of IEMA, and Tompion Platt, Director of Operations and Advocacy for the Ramblers.

Further information: cnp.org.uk/event

Landscapes for Nature Recovery Conference - March/April 2022

• An evening webinar presenting the context for nature recovery in protected landscapes
• An online conference exploring practicalities of nature recovery 

These events were hosted by CNPPA in partnership with the Lake District National Park Partnership, RSPB and Nature North. 

View the Landscapes for Nature Recovery Conference Programme, 7 April 2022.

View recordings of the main sessions.

National Landscapes Partnership Panel Discussion - February 2022

This event was hosted by CNPPA in partnership with the Campaign for National Parks and explored Defra’s proposed National Landscapes Partnership.

A recording is available on our YouTube channel here.

What is Natural Beauty? Symposium - December 2021

This online event was hosted by CNPPA and run by the PLACE Collective with the Wye Valley AONB Partnership and the Lake District National Park Authority. 

The symposium brought together strands from debates about the practicalities and economics of landscape management, within the context of what is considered beautiful and draws people into Protected Landscapes. 

• Symposium recordings are available to watch here.
• WINB Symposium Programme 
• What is Natural Beauty? Report 

Farming with Nature Conference - May 2021

CNPPA hosted this online conference, in partnership with the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission.

Recordings are available to view on our YouTube channel here.

The event report is available here: Food, Farming and Countryside Commission - Event Report.