Protecting our 'Vital Uplands'

After a successful pilot scheme in 2010, the ‘Vital Uplands’ project is back to generate support and raise funds to protect the fragile and vital upland areas around Bassenthwaite and Derwentwater.

It’s seeking to improve the way that we look after this magnificent landscape.

The project will be employing the expertise of local conservation charity Nurture Lakeland, who has implemented its unique Visitor Payback scheme to help fund valuable conservation work across the region to help realise the ambitious vision of the project.

Nurture Lakeland’s Visitor Payback scheme has already raised over £2m for conservation projects across Cumbria and their involvement with Vital Uplands will provide a great boost to its fundraising potential.

Nurture Lakeland is working with accommodation providers around Bassenthwaite and Derwentwater to set up the scheme. Visitors staying at participating businesses are being invited to make a small voluntary donation via their room bills to help support the conservation work being carried out as part of the Vital Uplands project.

By supporting conservation work on the doorsteps of participating businesses, providing room information about the work and site visits for business owners, Nurture Lakeland’s Visitor Payback scheme will also increase [SS1] the awareness of the true value of upland areas which provide water, healthy soil for agriculture and an important store for carbon deposits.

Local projects are already benefitting and include ‘The Lake District Osprey Project’, ‘Fix the Fells’ and ‘Love Your Lakes’ as well as Nurture Lakeland’s new Woodland Fund which will support tree planting throughout the area.

The Love Your Lakes project was a particularly successful aspect of the original Vital Uplands pilot (supported by the Bassenthwaite Reflections Project).  After influencing many residents and businesses to change to phosphate free laundry and dishwashing products the phosphate level in the lake has been reduced which should help to alleviate the levels of blue green algae which thrive on this nutrient.

Love Your Lakes continues to help accommodation providers to become phosphate free by providing phosphate free product info, laundry cards for guest rooms’ and one to one support via visits. 

If you would like more information about the ‘Vital Uplands’ project, want to know how you or your business can get involved with fundraising or how to become phosphate free, contact:

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / 01539 822622 / www.nurturelakeland.org