going to be taking a look at a different kind of entertainment that’s available to

everyone and is also free to use.

Today we’re talking about the countryside and we’ll be hearing from Helen

Phillips who's the new chief executive of the new countryside agency known as

“Natural England.” Natural England has been set up to be a source of advice

and help for farmers and a protector of the environment. Is Natural England

only concerned with the countryside though – what does Helen say?

 

Helen Phillips

I would say that Natural England is as much about the urban environment as it is about the

rural environment and in many ways making the connection between both.

Anna: Helen says that Natural England is not just about the rural environment or

countryside, it’s also concerned with the urban or city environment. She says

that it’s an organisation which tries to “make a connection” between the two

environments. If you try to make a connection between two things then you try

to bring them closer together in some way. Helen goes on to talk about where

Natural England will spend some of its money. She says that three hundred

million pound will go to farmers and other people in rural communities to help

protect the environment. This money will help to maintain and enhance

habitats– it will help to improve important habitats. Habitats are the natural

surroundings in which a plant or animal usually lives. The money will also

protect different species – species are a set of animals or plants in which the 

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members have very similar characteristics to each other and can breed with

each other.

But what other practical actions will this money achieve in rural areas? Have a

listen to Helen – what does she say will happen to the uplands? The uplands

are areas of land that are situated high up such as a hill or a mountain. And

what does she say will happen to the peat lands? Peat lands are areas of land

covered in a dark brown earth-like substance which was formed by plants

dying. Here’s Helen:

Helen Phillips

Three hundred million pounds of our payments are going to farmers and other people in rural

communities and what they’re doing in many ways is not only making sure that we maintain

and indeed enhance important habitats and protect species for everybody but also take very

practical actions for instance, if the uplands and the peat lands are managed properly they

become carbon sinks rather than carbon emitters, they make sure the water is restored in a

proper way so its much cheaper to treat when it comes down to the cities and towns and the

water treatment works. It can reduce the flood risk. If the uplands are managed properly it can

reduce flood risk in downstream towns by up to 20% . So there are huge connections about

managing the land in an integrated way for the whole of the community.

Anna: Helen says that if both the uplands and the peat lands are managed properly by

the farmers then they become “carbon sinks” instead of “carbon emitters. So

instead of emitting or sending out harmful carbon gases, the uplands and peat

lands become like sinks – the gases are absorbed or sink into the earth. The

farmers also help to make sure that the water from the hillsides is looked after

in a proper way so that it's cheaper to treat at the water treatment works in the

cities. Helen says that if the uplands are well managed by the farmers the risk

of flooding occurring in nearby communities is reduced – it goes down by 

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about 20%. So the whole community benefits from the land being well looked

after.

But what about coastal areas – areas of land next to the sea? How will Natural

England ensure that people can enjoy the coast as well as the countryside?

Helen Phillips

We need to make sure that people get more access to the coast – we will be doing more work

now on how it is we get access for folk to enjoy the coast.

Anna: Helen says that they will make sure that people have more access to the coast –

they will ensure that they are able to visit it more easily. She says that Natural

England will be doing more work to find out how folk – how ordinary people,

can enjoy the coast. Well I’m off to the countryside this weekend – don’t forget

to join us next time for another edition of Entertainment.