Wild Peak

Cowdale Quarry in Derbyshire, managed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust on behalf of Nestlé, is being transformed from a former industrial site into a thriving wildlife habitat. Once dominated by disturbed ground and encroaching scrub, the site is now developing into a rich mosaic of species-diverse grassland, scrub and emerging woodland pasture.

Targeted scrub removal, sensitive cutting techniques and microhabitat creation are helping restore valuable limestone grassland. These actions protect light-loving wildflowers such as mountain currant, quaking grass, harebell, rock-rose and melancholy thistle — key indicators of species-rich calcareous grassland. Naturalistic “scalloped” cutting patterns and varied sward heights create warm suntraps, sheltered edges and bare ground, benefiting pollinators, invertebrates and ground-nesting birds.

Looking ahead, the long-term vision is to introduce conservation grazing, support woodland pasture development and maintain a balanced habitat structure through ongoing management. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to sustainable land stewardship, ensuring Cowdale continues to evolve into a resilient, biodiverse landscape for the future.   

At Haddon Hall Estate in the Wild Peak, an important woodland restoration story is unfolding. Working together, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and the estate’s landowners are tackling invasive non-native shrubs that have quietly taken over large parts of the woodland floor.

Plants such as rhododendron, cherry laurel and snowberry were originally introduced for game cover many decades ago. Over time, they spread into dense thickets, blocking sunlight and preventing native wildflowers and young trees from growing. Left unchecked, they would continue to reduce biodiversity and weaken the woodland’s natural resilience.

With support from the Species Survival Fund, our teams are carefully removing these invasive plants, even on steep and hard-to-reach slopes. Once cleared, light returns to the woodland floor, giving native species the chance to regenerate naturally. The aim is not just to “clear” the land, but to help the woodland heal and become self-sustaining again.

This partnership shows how heritage estates and conservation organisations can work side by side to protect both history and wildlife, creating healthier, more diverse woodlands for future generations to enjoy.

At Buxworth Recreation Ground in the White Peak, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has been working with Buxworth & Chinley Parish Council and local volunteers to transform a well-used community space into a haven for wildlife. Although surrounded by valuable semi-natural habitats, years of frequent mowing had left much of the grassland species-poor, with few wildflowers to support bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

With support from the Species Survival Fund, the Wilder Delivery Team began reimagining how the site could work for both people and nature. Small meadow “pockets” were created across the grassland, each carefully prepared and seeded with native wildflowers. A former high-maintenance strip beside the football field was turned into a vibrant wildflower bank, now buzzing with pollinators through the summer and requiring far less intensive mowing.

Edges were opened up by cutting back bramble, allowing sunlight to reach the ground and creating warm, sheltered spots for insects. These changes have strengthened the site’s role as a stepping-stone for wildlife, improving links between surrounding green spaces and supporting movement across the wider White Peak landscape.

Today, the recreation ground is evolving into a richer, more colourful place, where meadow flowers flourish, pollinators thrive, and the community can enjoy a greener, more resilient natural space for years to come.

The Wild Peak is a place where wildlife is thriving and extending into our surrounding towns and cities.  Where ospreys soar overhead; and black grouse and hen harriers are back where they belong.  Our wildflower meadows sing with insects, bees and butterflies, and our blanket bogs suck in our rain and contribute as a carbon sink.  Native woodlands are re-generating and expanding, teeming with pine martens, adders and red squirrels.  Beavers are effectively managing our wetlands.  It’s a dynamic place, valued by and benefitting society, locally, nationally and internationally.

Please see below for our fully detailed Wild Peak Vision:

View the Wild Peak Vision

A pipeline of projects within the Wild Peak programme will secure funding for activities that support landowners, including habitat interventions, access to green finance markets and community support.

By 2030 30% of the Wild Peak region will be managed in a wilder way.

Habitats will be suitable for more ambitious species reintroduction projects, woodlands will be joining together with scrublands, heathland, parkland and diverse hedgerows and more partners will be delivering ecosystem services benefits to communities. More partners will be working with nature to deliver ecosystem services all of which will bring huge benefits to our communities. Tourists will be starting to visit the region not just for its scenery but for its wildlife spectacles. Local community groups will be protecting and restoring wildlife, forming networks that grow our resilience for a Wilder Peak. 

By 2050 the Wild Peak region is merging with other similar initiatives across the country.

Wild Peak has become self-sustaining, and as a society we have all come to intrinsically value our landscape for the good it provides both economically and socially. A nature led approach has become the norm with natural floodplains preventing floods, an increase in trees cleaning our air, healthy bogs storing more carbon. We will have complex ecosystems forming, with a whole range of lost species coming back like Wild Cat, Pine Marten, Osprey, Golden Eagle and Salmon.

We secured £1.69 million of funding for a two-year period from March 2024 to February 2026, which enabled us to:

• Plant more than 10,000 trees.
• Create or restore 70 hectares of meadows.
• Fund 26 local community groups to improve their actions and accessibility for nature.
• Assist 19 landowners in restoring nature on their land.
• Work on restoring nature across 6,000 acres of land in total.
• Grow the Wild Peak Network to 80 members, forming a collective of landowners taking action for nature.
• Create the Wild Peak Grazing Network of conservation Exmoor ponies across 12 landowner sites.

This project is funded by the Government's Species Survival Fund. The fund was developed by Defra and its Arm's-Length Bodies. It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency.