ABSTRACT
Our ambition is to strengthen the connections between people and nature. We want more people to enjoy the benefi ts of nature by giving them freedom to connect with it.
Everyone should have fair access to a good-quality natural environment. We want to see every child in England given the opportunity to experience and learn about the natural environment. We want to help people take more responsibility for their environment, putting local communities in control and making it easier for people to take positive action. 29
In June 2011, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs presented to the UK Parliament the fi rst white paper on the natural environment for 20 years. “The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature,” otherwise known as the Natural Environment White Paper (NEWP), outlined an ambitious plan to tackle a number of inter-linked issues including biodiversity loss, the threat of climate change and a decline in young people’s engagement with the natural environment.
