Nature restoration

At Hampton, we are lucky to have a fantastic mosaic of different habitat types – ancient and semi-natural woodland, lowland heath, wood pasture and parkland, lowland fen, calcareous grassland, dry acid grassland, native broadleaf and commercial conifer woodland and more. This diversity of habitats is home to very important and diverse species of flora and fauna, critical to a fully functioning ecosystem and condition of our natural capital. As well as being in the Greenbelt and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Hampton also includes a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Site of Nature Conservation Interest.

There is a global biodiversity crisis – we must now turn back the clock on habitat and species loss, and so we are doing everything we can in our corner of west Surrey to protect and enhance these ecologically and socially important animals and plants.

Our principles for nature restoration

Our landscape is one that has been shaped by humans and nature for thousands of years, and we take our responsibility as its current custodians very seriously. When it comes to knowing what to do where, we have a few principles that help us ensure our nature restoration projects are done properly:

• We consult and collaborate with as many experts as possible.
• We engage with the public and ensure that our projects deliver benefits for everyone.
• We look at the history of the land and all its previous uses to help us inform the best future.
• We think about the wider landscape and how habitats connect and join up.
• We work with NGOs and charities to collect important ecological data to record and evidence environmental impact.
• We believe in sensitive nature restoration, focusing on the right thing in the right place.