Campaign for National Parks 2026 National Park Protector Awards

Reflecting on Campaign for National Parks 2026 National Park Protector Awards

Natalie Harvey, Director of Communications & Brand at National Parks UK, recently attended the Campaign for National Parks’ 2026 Protector Awards and reflected on her experience.

People make National Parks 

National Parks are extraordinary landscapes, but it’s people who bring them to life. Across England, Scotland and Wales, people are restoring nature, sharing knowledge, supporting thriving communities and helping others find their own connection with these special places. 

In October, the Campaign for National Parks 2026 National Park Protector Awards brought some of those stories together at Westminster, recognising people and projects from National Parks in England and Wales. 

 Those celebrated on the day represented just a glimpse of the brilliant work taking place in our National Parks. There were farmers and conservationists, volunteers and community leaders, young changemakers and people finding new ways for everyone to experience the outdoors. Different people. Different National Parks. Different projects. But something important connects them all: people taking action for places they care about. 

Growing connections in the Yorkshire Dales 

In the Yorkshire Dales National Park, farmer Neil Heseltine of Hill Top Farm won the Living Landscapes Award, sponsored by Ramble Worldwide. Based in Malham, Neil uses farm-based education to connect children with the landscape around them, from sheep and cattle to soil and wildflowers. Through those experiences, young people can begin to understand how farming, food, nature and the wider story of the Yorkshire Dales fit together. 

 Ullswater Catchment Management CIC, in the Lake District National Park, was named runner-up. It works alongside farmers and landowners to deliver nature recovery and flood management projects across the landscape. Both stories show how people who live and work in National Parks are helping landscapes adapt and thrive, while sharing their knowledge with others. 

Bringing people into nature recovery 

Sometimes caring for a landscape starts with discovering something living within it. The Marsh National Park Nature Award, sponsored by the Marsh Charitable Trust, went to Prosiect Torgoch, North Wales Rivers Trust, in Eryri National Park. The project brings together science, storytelling, education, art and community action around one remarkable species, the Torgoch, or Arctic charr. By connecting people with the species, the project is also building greater understanding of Eryri’s freshwater ecosystems and inspiring people to play a part in their future. 

The Exmoor Pioneers Project team was named runner-up. Across the former Royal Forest of Exmoor, the team is restoring and enriching habitats, supporting priority species, growing new woodland and helping people connect more deeply with the area’s natural and cultural heritage. 

These are nature recovery projects, but they’re also people projects. They give communities opportunities to understand what makes their National Park special and become part of caring for its future. 

Finding new ways to experience National Parks 

Connection with a National Park can mean something different to everyone. Gareth Davies of See Cymru Differently, RNIB Cymru won the New Perspectives Award, sponsored by Natural England, for work that has transformed how visitors with sight loss can engage with all three Welsh National Parks. Gareth’s work also captured the public imagination, earning him the People’s Choice Award. 

Sheffield Environmental Movement, working with communities in and around the Peak District National Park, was named runner-up. Since 2016, the organisation has helped people from racially minoritised communities across Sheffield and Yorkshire connect with landscapes and nature. 

Their work is a reminder that welcoming people into National Parks isn’t simply about encouraging more people to visit. It’s about helping everyone find their own way to experience, enjoy and belong in these places. 

Making space for young voices 

Young people aren’t just the future of National Parks. They’re already helping to shape them. Robson Peisley in the South Downs National Park was named Young Changemaker of the Year. In December 2025, Robson became the youngest National Park Authority Member in the country, bringing their vision for National Parks as havens for both nature and diverse communities into the boardroom. 

When they collected their award, however, Robson turned the attention back towards the people around them: “National Park is about all of us. It’s not just one individual.” That sense of collective action ran through many of the stories shared during the day. 

The runner-up, North York Moors Youth Voice, is fully youth-led. Its members planned and delivered a conference bringing together young people from Protected Landscapes across England and beyond. Their work demonstrates why making space for young voices matters. Young people aren’t waiting for the future to care for these places. They’re leading projects, influencing decisions and bringing fresh perspectives to what National Parks can become. 

Creating a legacy through people 

Perhaps the clearest expression of the relationship between people and National Parks came towards the end of the ceremony. A special Lifetime Achievement Award recognised Yvonne Witter and her almost two decades of work connecting communities with the Peak District National Park. Yvonne is the driving force behind Peak District Mosaic, which grew from the Campaign for National Parks’ Mosaic programme. Her work has helped people who face practical, economic or cultural barriers to accessing National Parks build confidence, experience the outdoors and develop their own sense of belonging. 

Reflecting on her journey, Yvonne described legacy not simply as leaving something for people but leaving something within people. It’s a powerful idea. A day outdoors can spark curiosity. Someone sharing their knowledge can build confidence. A first walk can become the beginning of a lifelong connection. And someone welcomed into a National Park today might be the person introducing friends, children or grandchildren to it tomorrow. 

That’s how connection grows. 

People and Parks 

Awards naturally turn our attention towards winners. But the stories shared at Westminster painted a much bigger picture. Five people, groups or projects were shortlisted across each of the main categories, demonstrating just how much work is happening across National Parks and how many people are putting their time, expertise, imagination and energy into caring for these places. 

The awards celebrated people and projects from National Parks in England and Wales, but the bigger story stretches across the National Parks family. Across England, Scotland and Wales, people take action for these extraordinary places every day. Some restore rivers, peatlands and woodland. Some work the land. Some help people and nature grow closer together. Others lead walks, share knowledge, influence decisions or give someone the confidence to discover a National Park for the first time. 

National Parks aren’t landscapes standing still. They’re living, working places, shaped by nature and by generations of people. The projects celebrated at the National Park Protector Awards tell part of that much bigger story: extraordinary places shaped by people who care about them, and people whose lives are shaped by the places they care for. 

Congratulations to everyone recognised in this year’s National Park Protector Awards, and to the thousands of people across our National Parks who bring these places to life every day. National Parks discover these places, build confidence and develop their own relationship with the outdoors.