A MAJOR new wildlife project could eventually see more than £3-million being invested in Cornwall.

The Tor to Shore initiative aims to create a thriving landscape rich in wildlife, from the large granite boulders and heights of Helman Tor, near Bodmin, to the county’s south coast, taking in the catchment of the Par River.

In addition, the project will protect and restore marine habitats in St Austell Bay, including maerl beds that have potentially existed for more than 4,000 years.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust has been awarded a £265,000 development grant to progress plans and introduce pioneering conservation techniques, including the implementation of rewilding principles at Helman Tor nature reserve.

At the heart of the wildlife trust’s ambitions for the area are plans to bring together people and communities from all backgrounds to act for, connect with and benefit from nature.

A wildlife trust spokesperson said: “Cornwall may be famed for its rugged coastline and turquoise waters, but the county’s natural beauty masks the hard truth that wildlife is in trouble – both on land and at sea. The most recent State of Nature report for Cornwall revealed that almost a quarter of mammals and butterfly species are at risk of extinction, and that the ‘richest’ sites for wildlife are too disconnected from each other.

Trust chief executive Matt Walpole said: “For too long, conservation efforts on land and those at sea have been fragmented. Cornwall Wildlife Trust is thrilled to receive funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to change that, demonstrating that joined up efforts to create bigger, better, more connected landscapes and seascapes can be transformative for nature recovery.

“Nature in Cornwall needs more than Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s efforts alone if we’re to reverse its current decline. It needs more people, from all spheres, to take action. By working collaboratively across the project area, Tor to Shore will mobilise and support communities, businesses, farmers, fishers, statutory bodies and others to get behind nature, benefiting wildlife, our economy and our wellbeing.”

The Tor to Shore project will build on work carried out by the wildlife trust during the past 18 months. At over 730 acres, Helman Tor, a focal area for the project, is the trust’s largest nature reserve and home to interesting and rare wildlife. Historically, it has been managed by traditional, human-led conservation activities, including the manual clearance of dominant habitats, to maintain its carefully balanced ecosystem for wildlife.

However, over the past 12 months, the trust has started rewilding the reserve. Tamworth pigs and English Longhorn cattle, both ancient breeds with behaviours and habits that benefit nature, now roam, rootle and graze among wet woodland and heathland, while in February, two beavers unexpectedly arrived at the site.

There are now a few small pockets of beavers in the wild across England. The pair at Helman Tor have started establishing a territory and building dams. The wildlife trust is managing their presence and working with local people to minimise any unwanted effects. The charity still plans on applying for a wild release licence for Helman Tor when the government process opens.

While Helman Tor sits near the top of the Par River, areas downstream are surrounded by farmland, where the project will partner with farmers to tackle agricultural pollution and create wildlife corridors - areas of habitat that span from Helman Tor and connect with other nature-rich sites, allowing wildlife to thrive beyond the reserve’s boundaries.

The Par River flows into St Austell Bay where one of the UK’s largest sub-tidal seagrass beds exists. The bay is also home to extensive maerl beds, a lesser known but equally important habitat. Maerl is a hard, calcified seaweed that forms over long periods of time. Marine wildlife can be found sheltering within and feeding among the maerl, which, like seagrass, is an important habitat for carbon capture. Protecting the maerl is now a priority for the trust.

Ruth Williams, head of marine work at the trust, said: “Locally known as ‘Cornish coral’, maerl beds are spectacular. Rich pink and purple in colour, they provide a home for marine wildlife, including bull huss (a small member of the shark family), urchins and various fish.”

The Tor to Shore project’s development phase will engage stakeholders in the project area to lay the groundwork for a community-focused approach for nature’s recovery across land and sea. The trust is asking people local to the project area from all backgrounds to get in touch if they would like to get involved - email [email protected]

A trust spokesperson said: “If the first year is successful, this will result in a further £3,300,000 of funding over five years – the largest in our history and a transformative investment for nature in Cornwall.”

A spokesperson for the National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “We are delighted to support the Tor to Shore project.”