MORE than £5m has been raised to tackle biodiversity decline in the South East by an initiative led by the South Downs National Park.

The initiative, called ReNature, aims to create new wildlife havens and improve existing habitats. In the past two years, it has helped to create more than 400 hectares of new wildlife habitat such as ponds, grasslands and wildflower meadows.

In addition, 4,312 hectares of existing habitat have been improved. This involved planting more than 16,383 trees in the last year and creating or restoring 14 ponds which provide a crucial home for many species.

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The South Downs National Park will be celebrating the ReNature initiative with a week-long festival full of guided walks, a competition and online films. The festival will run from July 22-30.

Jan Knowlson, biodiversity officer for the national park, said: “We have some amazing biodiversity in the National Park, including a huge variety of butterflies, birds, reptiles and amphibians. But even here in the South Downs, nature is struggling and needs our help.

“We’re really pleased to have created this new wildlife habitat that will allow nature to start bouncing back over the coming years.

“Nature recovery takes time and this is just the start of the habitat creation and improvement we can achieve.

“Nature recovery in the South Downs National Park will not be one big ‘rewilding’ project – it will be achieved through lots of different projects, both large and small, that together create wildlife recovery. Ultimately, we want nature everywhere for everyone.”

During the ReNature Festival, South Downs National Park will be inviting the public to help nature by taking a pledge to take action for nature and climate. The pledge includes seven things that anyone can do such as making a home for nature, buying local and recycling.

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Anyone who fills in the pledge form online before September 1 will be entered into a prize draw for a year’s membership to the Wildlife Trusts or a family ticket to Marwell Zoo.

The ReNature initiative is being led by the National Park Authority in partnership with the South Downs National Park Trust, the official charity for the National Park. Significant funding has been generated through donations and grants from the public and private sector, as well as National Lottery funding.

For more information, visit the South Downs National Park website.