A multi-million pound project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund has been launched to restore areas in the North West transformed by heavy industries like coal mining, peat extraction and iron & steel production.

Led by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, The Carbon Landscape aims to restore more than 130 hectares to nature, train more than 1,000 volunteers and offer free education to 40 schools, and is spearheading the latest Government thinking on the environment. The project aims to get local people involved in the restoration work.

The project features the RoundView – an accessible and positive approach to sustainability – which has come from research by Dr Joanne Tippett from the Manchester Urban Institute. She found that offering guidelines for what a sustainable future might look like, rather than focusing on problems, leads to greater motivation and capacity for action.

“The Carbon Landscape, with its rich industrial heritage, is the perfect place to take a step back, look at a bigger picture and ask ourselves – what kind of future are we choosing to create?” said Joanne.

The Carbon Landscape is part of the Great Manchester Wetlands, a partnership of local authorities, statutory organisations, environmental charities and community groups. It was established in 2011 to deliver improvements to nature and wildlife for the benefit of local communities.

You can read the full press release and watch the video all about the project.