Farmers and land managers are being encouraged to share their views on how nature can be encouraged alongside their business.

North Yorkshire Council has been appointed by Defra to produce a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) to help in addressing the decline of nature and to improve the environment.

There are 48 other LNRSs being prepared across England usually at county or combined authority level.

The strategy, covering North Yorkshire and York, will identify locations to improve nature and provide other benefits, such as capturing carbon from the atmosphere, flood regulation and access to nature-rich spaces where this is most needed for health and wellbeing.

It aims to not only improve prospects for wildlife but can also help businesses become more resilient to the effects of climate change and deliver wider environmental benefits.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for managing the environment, Cllr Greg White said: "The LNRS for North Yorkshire and York will map nature in our region and identify an action plan to help safeguard it for the future.

"Key to the strategy’s success will be the support of farmers and land managers to understand what we can do to help nature to flourish. We are keen to learn from their local knowledge and expertise in managing land and food production, to feed this into the draft strategy.”

The strategy is expected to better assist farmers and land managers to access Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) incentives and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) opportunities, by guiding where actions for nature in their areas will be most beneficial.

Once published it is expected that this will also be a useful resource which farmers and land managers can utilise to inform future applications for funding.

Working in partnership with the NFU, the council is holding events across the county starting on Monday (February 19). Places are free and limited to 25 people per event and will be followed by a light meal.

Events are as follows:

  • Monday, February 19, from 11am to 12.30pm at Thirsk Auction Mart.
  • Tuesday, February 20, from 11am to 12.30pm at Selby Auction Mart.
  • Thursday, February 22, from 11am to 12.30pm at Skipton Auction Mart.
  • Monday, February 26, from 11am to 12.30pm at Fletcher's Farm Coffee Shop, Great Ayton.
  • Tuesday, February 27, from 7pm to 8.30pm at The Golden Lion Hotel, Northallerton.
  • Wednesday, February 28, from 11am to 12.30pm at Ripon Community House.
  • Wednesday, February 28, from 7pm to 8.30pm at Malton and Norton RUFC, Malton.

To register a place email LNRS@northyorks.gov.uk stating the date and venue, or visit www.northyorks.gov.uk/environment-and-neighbourhoods/conservation/local-nature-recovery-strategy.