The world's greatest national parks
National parks are the sorts of places that can turn kids from screen-addicts to outdoor explorers; that can turn all of us into advocates for the planet.
National parks are good for us too. It's well documented that spending time in nature can reduce stress, anxiety and depression, not to mention the health benefits of the hiking, biking, paddling, swimming, running, rafting and more we might engage in while we're there.
The activity options are as diverse as the parks themselves. No matter if you prefer icy expanses, deserts, jungles, islands, highlands, human culture or utter emptiness, somewhere there's a park for you. While we've extensively covered the UK's top spots, and zoomed in on Europe, here are some more of the best that the world has to offer.
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Water worlds
Animal encounters
Family travel
Wild adventures
Superb landscapes
Water worlds
Best for cruising
Fiordland, New Zealand
Rudyard Kipling visited majestic Milford Sound in the 1890s, deeming it 'the eighth wonder of the world'. But attention-grabbing Milford – doable on a day-trip from Te Anau – is only one of 14 ice-carved inlets within Fiordland. This vast South Island park is also home to hundreds of lakes, endless rainforest and three official Great Walks: the Kepler, Milford and Routeburn tracks. However, as most of Fiordland's sounds are only accessible from the sea, the best way to fully explore is by boat.
Do it: Heritage Expeditions (+64 3 365 3500) offers a 10-day Ultimate Fiordland cruise from £3,825pp full board; excludes flights.
Best for off-beat beaches
Ko Tarutao, Thailand
Many of Thailand's beaches have been loved to near-death. But paradise can still be found within this marine national park. Though only 90 minutes by speedboat from the popular Malaysian isle of Langkawi, the 51 isles of Tarutao (which means, appropriately, 'primitive') are little-developed and pristine. The main islands are Tarutao and Ko Adang; paradisiacal Ko Lipe is a good base for dive trips. Other activities include jungle hikes, meeting the local Urak Lawoi and snorkelling on Thailand's finest reefs.
Do it: Bamboo Travel (020 7720 9285) offers a 16-day Island Hopping Kuala Lumpur to Krabi trip, including Ko Lipe, from £3,570pp including B&B accommodation and flights.
Best for quirky inhabitants
Galápagos, Ecuador
There's nowhere like this Pacific-stranded archipelago, both in terms of unique (and fearless) wildlife and scientific import – Darwin developed his evolutionary theory here. Landscapes are volcanic and dramatic, waters clear, the inhabitants quirky: sea-swimming iguanas, northerly penguins, giant tortoises, beak-jousting albatross. Land-based trips are possible, but cruising offers greater variety. Highlights include visiting Santa Cruz's Charles Darwin Research Station, snorkelling with sea lions and turtles, and watching blue-footed boobies perform their comedy courtship dance.
Do it: Select Latin America (0207 407 1478) offers a 17-day Full Galapagos trip, visiting all the islands, from £8,763pp full board; includes 14-night cruise; excludes international flights.
Best for cascading falls
Plitvice, Croatia
Water, water everywhere – that's Plitvice. More than 90 waterfalls tinkle between the 16 interconnected lakes and karst canyons of this beautiful blue-green park in Croatia's central Dinaric Alps. Explore via the network of trails, which range from 3km to 18km – medium-length Walk B leads through the limestone canyon of the Lower Lakes and includes an electric-boat ride across Lake Kozjak (where rowing boats can also be hired) plus either a scenic train ride back, or a walk along the canyon rim.
Do it: Regent (0117 453 3001) offers a seven-day Zagreb and Plitvice trip from £1,235pp including B&B accommodation and flights.
Animal encounters
Best for big creatures
Komodo, Indonesia
The rugged, volcanic isles of Komodo, Rinca and Padar sit at the heart of the Indonesian archipelago, at the juncture of tectonic plates and the meeting of ecosystems. The wildlife here is extraordinary – and huge. This is the only place on the planet to see Komodo dragons – armoured lizards that grow up to three metres long – and there are big critters offshore too, with dazzling coral reefs attracting turtles, whales, manta rays and whale sharks. As to be expected, the snorkelling is superb.
Do it: Seatrek offers a nine-day Whale Sharks, Corals & Dragons cruise from £4,039pp full board; excludes flights.
Best for tigers
Corbett, India
This gorgeous park, scenically tucked into Uttarakhand's Himalayan foothills, has the highest concentration of tigers in India and was named for hunter-turned-conservationist Jim Corbett (whose house – now a museum – can be visited in Kaladhungi). This is where Project Tiger was launched; an initiative that helps protect the big cats countrywide. Game drives explore Corbett's hills, sal forests, marshes, grasses and bamboo groves; other species that might be spotted include elephant, leopard, sloth bear and almost 600 species of birds.
Do it: Wild Frontiers (020 3918 4034) offers a Wild India & Nepal trip from £8,350pp, combining Corbett with Bardia and Chitwan, including full-board accommodation and flights.
Best for gorillas
Bwindi Impenetrable, Uganda
Few places offer the chance to meet mountain gorillas. And Bwindi, home to half of the world's population of the endangered apes, is a considerably less expensive option – trekking permits (allowing one hour with the gorillas) cost US$800 (£591) in Uganda versus US$1,500 (£1,108) in Rwanda. Bwindi also offers Gorilla Habituation Experiences (US$1,500), which include four hours with a group still being habituated. The park's lush, Afromontane forest is home to plenty more, too: look for blue monkeys and 345 species of birds.
Do it: Rainbow Tours (0203 773 7945) offers a 13-night Uganda trip from £7,260pp including accommodation, most meals, gorilla permits and flights.
Best for safaris
Kruger, South Africa
Covering South Africa's northeast corner, Kruger is the country's oldest national park. It's home to the Big Five and packed with game. Best, it caters to all budgets: save by self-driving and staying at rest-camps, or splurge on luxe lodges within private park concessions (Singita has two of the finest properties). It's also abutted by the Greater Kruger, where night drives and bush walks are permitted, and where you can meet the Black Mambas, the first all-female anti-poaching unit.
Do it: Intrepid (0808 274 5111) offers an eight-day Kruger to Vic Falls small-group trip from £1,364pp including accommodation, most meals and Black Mambas experience, excluding flights.
Family travel
Best for school summer holidays
Wilpattu (and Minneriya), Sri Lanka
Welcoming and diverse, Sri Lanka is great for adventurous families. For that reason, two top parks deserve a mention, and both are conveniently best-visited during school summer holidays, when the monsoon is hitting elsewhere. Wilpattu, in the north-east, is the country's largest park, and jeep drives amid its scrub forest and villu (shallow lakes) might reveal water buffalo, sambar, leopard and sloth bear. Meanwhile, the grasslands of Minneriya, in the island's centre, host the greatest-known gathering of Asian elephants.
Do it: Stubborn Mule (01728 752751) offers a 15-day Sri Lanka Summer Tour from £13,940 per family of four including B&B accommodation and flights.
Best for Alternative Alps
Pyrenees, France
The Pyrenees aren't like other French mountains. This is la frontière sauvage ('the wild frontier'), a jagged bastion of peaks, cirques and tarns on the Spanish border – less chocolate box and less crowded than the Alps. The national park covers a chunk of the range, south of Lourdes, that is home to the waterfall-splattered amphitheatre of the Cirque du Gavarnie, glittering Gaube Lake, 2,877m Pic du Midi (cable car accessible) and traditionally Pyrenean access valleys such as Cauterets and Azun. The hiking is fabulous, and there are plenty of other family activities, too.
Do it: Macs Adventure (0141 530 5452) offers an eight-day Walking in the Pyrenees trip from £965pp including B&B accommodation; excludes flights.
Wild adventures
Best for hiking
Torres del Paine, Chile
Patagonia isn't short on breathtaking wilderness, but Torres del Paine scoops top prize. This Unesco Biosphere is speared by granite peaks and blanketed in emerald forests, turquoise lagoons, glistening glaciers and wildlife-rich pampas where endangered huemul deer and puma might be spotted. Numerous activities are possible: mountain-biking, 4WD-ing, kayaking among icebergs on Lago Grey. The hiking is sublime, from shorter treks to lookouts (such as Mirador Cuernos) to the full O Circuit, which loops the Paine massif – one of the world's best treks.
Do it: KE Adventure (017687 73966) offers a 12-day Classic Paine Circuit small-group trek from £7,395pp including accommodation, meals and flights.
Best for rainforest
Manu, Peru
Ranging from high Andes to lowland Amazonian rainforest, Manu contains a marvellous mix of South American ecosystems. It's remote and relatively hard to reach, which means it's pristine and full of creatures: jaguar, ocelot, giant river otter, spectacled bear, 1,000-plus species of birds. You might see hummingbirds in the cloudforest, macaws flocking at clay-licks and Andean cock-of-the-rocks performing mating displays. The best way to explore is via the 'Manu Road', hopping between lodges in different altitudinal zones to see the full spectrum of life.
Do it: Naturetrek (01962 733051) offers an 18-day Manu small-group trip from £7,995pp including full-board accommodation and flights.
Best for bragging rights
Corcovado, Costa Rica
Nosing into the Pacific Ocean, the Osa Peninsula takes up around 0.001 per cent of the planet's surface but packs in 2.5 per cent of its biodiversity. And this is where you'll find Corcovado. It's harder to access than the country's other national parks; visitor numbers are capped and guides are mandatory. But the reward is a crowd-free Eden. Hikes might reveal monkeys, anteaters, sloths and scarlet macaws. A night at La Sirena Ranger Station (the only accommodation within the park) is the ultimate immersion.
Do it: Pura Aventura (01273 676712) offers a 13-night Costa Rica Hidden Highlights self-drive from £3,160pp including B&B accommodation; excludes flights.
Best for walking safaris
South Luangwa, Zambia
Zambia offers a lower-key safari experience than many better-known spots, and is richer for it. Especially South Luangwa, a sweeping expanse of riverside plains in the country's east. It was here that conservationist Norman Carr pioneered walking safaris (you can still stay at Carr's camps, such as Mchenja). Bush walks are the most thrilling way to encounter South Luangwa's residents – which includes wild dogs and one of the world's highest densities of leopards – in the company of some of Africa's best guides.
Do it: Yellow Zebra (020 3993 3564) offers a nine-day Founders of Zambia's Walking Safaris trip from £8,273pp including full-board accommodation; excludes flights.
Superb landscapes
Best for dark skies
Jasper, Canada
In 2024, wildfires burned 96,000 acres of Canada's biggest national park. But don't let that put you off: already, nature is rebounding, and the community spirit is inspirational. Plus, some of the Rockies' most dramatic mountain views are here, as well as glorious glacial lakes (like Maligne), crashing waterfalls and one of the world's finest drives: the Icefields Parkway, linking Jasper to Banff via a magnificence of peaks. Jasper is also the world's second-largest Dark Sky Preserve – its glittering skies are celebrated at a festival every October.
Do it: Trailfinders (0207 084 6500) offers a 14-day Rocky Mountain Wanderer self-drive from £3,699pp including room-only accommodation and flights.
Best for a road trip
Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef, Utah, USA
Yes, this is a bit cheat-y, but it's hard to separate the 'Mighty 5' that, together, make southern Utah a national park paradise. The best thing is to road-trip between them. Wander through Canyonlands – its beautiful buttes have featured in many a movie; hike trails to some of Arches' 2,000 namesake red-rock curves; explore the lesser-known geological wrinkles and ancient petroglyphs of Capitol Reef; star-gaze amid the curious hoodoos in Bryce; and squeeze into Zion's slender slot canyons.
Do it: Bon Voyage (02380 248248) offers an 11-night Spectacular Utah Deluxe self-drive from £3,495pp including room-only accommodation and flights.
Best for dreamy desert
Namib-Naukluft, Namibia
There are big national parks, then there's the enormous Namib-Naukluft, encompassing one of the oldest deserts on earth as well as the rocky, ravine-sliced Naukluft Mountains (great for hikes and horse-rides). Most iconic are the curvaceous apricot dunes of the Sesriem area, the striking-white salt-and-clays pans of Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. Self-drive is also possible with good roads. Seeing the rippling sands from the sky – via small plane or hot-air balloon – is unforgettable.
Do it: Expert Africa (0203 405 6666) offers a 14-day Caracal Self-drive, with four nights in the park, from £2,490pp including accommodation and most meals, excluding flights.
Best for originality
Yellowstone, USA
Designated in 1872, Yellowstone was the world's first national park, and has lost none of its lustre. It has 10,000 hydrothermal features, including around half the world's active geysers, plus other geological wonders like the 3,115m Mt Washburn and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. Top wildlife areas include the Lamar Valley (the 'Serengeti of North America', where grey wolves have been reintroduced) and Hayden Valley, home to huge bison herds. Sample the 90-plus hiking trails, go horse-riding or lake canoeing, and enjoy hot-spring soaks.
Do it: Journeyscape (0203 733 4413) offers an eight-day Yellowstone Wildlife Adventure from £10,500pp including B&B accommodation; excludes flights.
Best for ancient culture
Kakadu, Australia
Sprawling across the top of the Northern Territory, Kakadu is vast – almost half the size of Switzerland. It's also ancient, both in terms of its striking rock formations (some of the oldest on Earth) and its human history – Indigenous people have lived here for 65,000 years. Guided walks to rock art galleries such as Ubirr and Burrungkuy are highlights, as are billabong cruises (look for crocs and jabiru storks) and hikes to waterfalls such as the 200m-high Jim Jim and gorge-spilled Maguk.
Do it: World Expeditions (0800 0744 135) offers a six-day Kakadu Explorer small-group trip from £1,895pp including camping and meals, excluding flights.
Best for sheer size
Northeast Greenland, Greenland
Northeast Greenland is hard to comprehend. The world's biggest national park (it's almost the size of Spain and France combined), there are no settlements or infrastructure, and most of it is permanently covered by ice. But what a wilderness – unspoilt, pristine. Expedition cruises tend to nibble at its southern edges, drifting through Kong Oscar Fjord, with possible landings on craggy Ella Island and flower-rich Botanikerbugt bay. Sightings might include icebergs, muskoxen and, season dependent, midnight sun or northern lights.
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Times
a day ago
- Times
Atherton on 2005: fierce first hour at Lord's that left Australia bloodied
For the then travel editor of the Telegraph group, Graham Boynton, July 2005 provided two bucket-list opportunities: a Lions tour of New Zealand and the Lord's Ashes Test. On July 21, which dawned dull and overcast, Boynton queued outside the Grace Gates from 6am, keen to ensure he could bag a favourite seat in the turret of the old Pavilion. When the gates finally opened that morning, there was the usual unseemly rush from the MCC members — the 'Donkey Derby', as the England players called it — to make good the claims for a prize viewing spot. By that stage, both teams were already in the ground, England's having travelled from the Landmark hotel, in Marylebone, and Australia's from the Kensington Garden hotel. Adam Gilchrist was feeling typically nauseous. Although a two-times Ashes winner, he always felt this way before the start of a series against England: would he be a part of a team that finally lost Australia's grip on the urn? It was a peculiar kind of pressure, heightened that year by the real sense of expectation among the home supporters and England's evident strength in the one-day games preceding the Test series. A week or two earlier, Gilchrist had sent Teddy Roosevelt's 'The Man in the Arena' speech to his team-mates, with some encouraging words about how close they were to finding their best form. That he felt the need to send it at all may have also betrayed some of the worry and fear that rose again now that the Test series was close. Australia were strengthened by the return of the great Shane Warne and Justin Langer, who had missed the one-day matches. It was Langer's first Test at Lord's and his feelings of nausea were also rising once Ricky Ponting had won the toss and elected to bat, not helped by the smells of coffee, bacon and tobacco that wafted towards the dressing room as he padded up. To calm his nerves, Langer listened to Eminem's Lose Yourself on his headphones. 'Look, if you had one shot or one opportunityTo seize everything you ever wanted in one momentWould you capture it, or just let it slip?… You can do anything you set your mind to, man' In the England dressing room, Michael Vaughan gave some brief, final thoughts. Like Ben Stokes now, Vaughan was not one for heightening the tension or pressure, and he told his players to relax — as best they could — and enjoy themselves. Duncan Fletcher reminded them to 'get in their [the Australians'] space' and stand up to what he termed 'the schoolyard bully'. That virtually every England player eventually made a point of recalling the noise in the Long Room as they walked out on that first morning signified the rare atmosphere, although each had their own take on it. Marcus Trescothick thought the sound like the thunder of an underground train approaching the next stop. Vaughan described it as a 'throaty growl'. Simon Jones remembered the 'roaring and the shouting'. Steve Harmison thought the cheering of posh men did not sound much like the cheering on the terraces of his home town football club, Ashington. That they all felt the need to remark on it, however, suggests the atmosphere was far removed from the norm. Instead of looking up briefly from their morning papers as the players strolled by, the MCC members roused themselves to fever pitch. Normally, Matthew Hoggard would take the first over, but that morning Vaughan changed tack and gave the new ball to the pumped-up Harmison from the Pavilion End. What followed was one of Harmison's fiercest spells in an England shirt, the start of what Langer called the best session of cricket he experienced in his Test career, and a marker for what was to come. With his second ball, Harmison struck Langer a nasty blow on the right elbow, requiring treatment from Errol Alcott, the Australian physiotherapist, for an egg-sized lump that duly appeared. As he took time out to get feeling back in his hand and arm, Langer said to Matthew Hayden, his opening partner, 'These guys mean business!' In his third over, Harmison hit Hayden on the helmet with a short ball, to confirm Langer's intuition. After Hayden was dismissed by Hoggard, Ponting became the third batsman to be hit in the opening hour, when a short ball from Harmison rattled the Australian captain's helmet with such vigour that blood was drawn from the cheekbone, resulting in a scar that Ponting still carries to this day. Halfway through the 11th over of the morning, drinks were called as Ponting took treatment. Neither Harmison nor England's fielders inquired, as would be the custom, whether Ponting was OK at this point. This angered Langer, who shouted, at no one in particular: 'Is this what it has come to? Is it war then?' Two things were apparent in that first hour to offer a clue as to England's eventual series victory, even though they lost the match heavily. The first, was the intensity and cutting edge of the home attack, and the second was the success of the planning and strategy to each Australian batsman. There was a clue, for example, in the way Hoggard worked over Hayden, with fields set to nullify his booming off-side play. Fletcher had outlined England plans before the match and to Hayden, the bowlers were to 'look to get a nick from a fourth-stump line,' to 'bowl your bouncer on leg stump' and 'bowl dot balls' because Hayden, according to Fletcher, 'has a big ego and doesn't like being tied down'. They were told to set a catcher 'on the drive' because he could 'hit in the air through mid-off/extra cover'. To Gilchrist, they were told to search for a 'nick behind from off stump or just outside' and 'go around the wicket and cramp him for room'. Later on that first day, Andrew Flintoff dismissed Gilchrist from round the wicket, which would be a running theme of the series, reducing Australia's wicketkeeper to a shadow of the player who had tormented England previously. The potency of England's attack was evident to all. Throughout the series, England's bowlers would prove to be quicker and more hostile than Australia's and more skilful with the old ball, giving Vaughan an attack that had the wherewithal to take 20 wickets in a variety of conditions. Has there been a better or more rounded England pace attack ever than the quartet of Harmison, Hoggard, Flintoff and Jones? All that was ahead, of course. As the dust settled on a spicy contest, won by Australia by 239 runs, Langer led the traditional celebration of a Test-match victory by singing the team song. There was a sting to this story though: the Australians stayed so late that England's players had left by the time the song was conducted, and they marched into the England dressing room to sing it. In his book, Keeping My Head, Langer writes in detail about this error of judgment. He began the revelry by taking the mickey out of his team-mates, in particular Glenn McGrath, who had been given some gold boots to celebrate taking his 500th Test wicket, and then he noticed the England players' name tags were still written above the plush, leather seats where they changed. He began to take the mickey out of them, too, in their absence. 'And so I went around the England players having a laugh at their expense,' he later wrote. 'We finished with a raucous rendition of the team song and then left. Call it arrogant, call it fun — nowadays I just call it stupid. Forget 'Pidgeon' [McGrath] and his gold boots, I was the knob that night and it came back to bite me and the team on the arse.' Not that we knew it then, although the first hour of the series had offered plenty of clues. First Ashes Test, Lord's July 21 to 24, 2005Australia won by 239 runs Australia first inningsJ Langer c Harmison b Flintoff 40 (44 balls)M Hayden b Higgard 12 (25)R Ponting (capt) c Strauss b Harmison 9 (18)D Martyn c G Jones b S Jones 2 (4)M Clarke lbw b S Jones 11 (22)S Katich c G Jones b Harmison 27 (67)A Gilchrist (wk) c G Jones b Flintoff 26 (19)S Warne b Harmison 28 (29)B Lee c G Jones b Harmison 3 (8)J Gillespie lbw b Harmison 1 (11)G McGrath not out 10 (6)Extras (b 5, lb 4, nb 11, w 1) 21Total (40.2 overs) 190Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-55, 3-66, 4-66, 5-87, 6-126, 7-175, 8-178, 9-178, Harmison 11.2-0-43-5; Hoggard 8-0-40-1; A Flintoff 11-2-50-2; S Jones 10-0-48-2. England first inningsM Trescothick c Langer b McGrath 4 (17)A Strauss c Warne b McGrath 2 (21)M Vaughan (capt) b McGrath 3 (20)I Bell b McGrath 6 (25)K Pietersen c Martyn b Warne 57 (89)A Flintoff b McGrath 0 (4)G Jones (wk) c Gilchrist b Lee 30 (56)A Giles c Gilchrist b Lee 11 (13)M Hoggard c Hayden b Warne 0 (16)S Harmison c Maryn b Lee 11 (19)S Jones not out 20 (14)Extras (b 1, lb 5, nb 5) 11Total (48.1 overs) 155Fall of wickets 1-10, 2-11, 3-18, 4-19, 5-21, 6-79, 7-92, 8-101, 9-122, McGrath 18-5-53-5; Lee 15.1-5-47-3; Gillespie 8-1-30-0; Warne 7-2-19-2. Australia second inningsJ Langer run out (Pietersen) 6 (15)M Hayden b Flintoff 34 (54)R Ponting (capt) c sub (Hildreth) b Hoggard 42 (65)D Martyn lbw b Harmison 65 (138)M Clarke b Hoggard 91 (106)S Katich c S Jones b Harmison 67 (113)A Gilchrist (wk) b Flintoff 10 (14)S Warne c Giles b Harmison 2 (7)B Lee run out (Giles) 8 (16)J Gillespie b S Jones 13 (52)G McGrath not out 20 (32)Extras (b 10, lb 8, nb 8) 26Total (100.4 overs) 384Fall of wickets 1-18, 2-54, 3-100, 4-255, 5-255, 6-274, 7-279, 8-289, 9-341, Harmison 27.4-6-54-3; Hoggard 16-1-56-2; Flintoff 27-4-123-2; S Jones 18-1-69-1; A Giles 11-1-56-0; I Bell 1-0-8-0. England second inningsM Trescothick c Hayden b Warne 44 (103)A Strauss c & b Lee 37 (67)M Vaughan (capt) b Lee 4 (26)I Bell lbw b Warne 8 (15)K Pietersen not out 64 (79)A Flintoff c Gilchrist b Warne 3 (11)G Jones c Gillespie b McGrath 6 (27)A Giles c Hayden b McGrath 0 (2)M Hoggard lbw b McGrath 0 (15)S Harmison lbw b Warne 0 (1)S Jones c Warne b McGrath 0 (6)Extras (b 6, lb 5, nb 3) 14Total (58.1 overs) 180Fall of wickets 1-80, 2-96, 3-104, 4-112, 5-119, 6-158, 7-158, 8-164, 9-167, McGrath 17.1-2-29-4; Lee 15-3-58-2; Gillespie 6-0-18-0; Warne A Dar (Pk), R Koertzen (SA).
The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
‘Brownfields can be rich habitats': the abandoned oil refinery where wildlife now thrives
'You must see this!' Marc Outten shoulders past tangles of blackthorn and shimmies around hummocks of blackberries the size of buses and glades filled with wildflowers. What beautiful wildlife spectacle awaits? Weaving across carpets of bird's foot trefoil, we reach our destination: a vast, barren circle of asphalt, 70 metres across – the ruins of an uncompleted oil refinery. 'You'll find rare bees and reptiles around the edge and you've got these lovely stonecrops and lichens,' enthuses Outten, a naturalist and RSPB's site manager for Canvey Wick nature reserve. The derelict asphalt pad is buzzing with rare nature. This 'ruined' landscape – where disused street lamps poke up above rampant scrub – resembles some kind of post-apocalyptic London. But in its ruination, this brownfield site beside the Thames in Essex has become one of the most nature-rich places in Britain, home to 3,200 species including endangered shrill carder bees, pantaloon bees, water vole, cuckoos and long-eared owls. Canvey Wick is celebrating its 20th anniversary as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) as conservationists warn many similarly wildlife-rich brownfield sites are threatened by development, particularly in the Thames Gateway. Tilbury ash fields, home to 185 invertebrate species of conservation concern including the great sneak-spider, is imperilled by plans to expand the port of Tilbury. Meanwhile, a Google datacentre is proposed on a local wildlife site close to Lakeside that is home to nightingales, rare plants and scarce invertebrates such as the brown-banded carder bee. Canvey Wick shows what can happen when a brownfield site is protected. Since it was bought by the Land Trust and managed by the RSPB in partnership with Buglife, an astonishing range of rare species have made their home on its 93 hectares (230 acres): 11.7% of its 3,200 species are classified as rare, scarce, threatened or near threatened. Eight years ago, there were no nightingales on Canvey Wick. Today there are 21 nightingale territories in the thickets of blackthorn, hawthorn and bramble – a vital new stronghold for the much-loved but endangered songbird. 'People assume that brownfield sites are very low value for biodiversity – until they see what a brownfield site can really do,' said Outten, on a tour of the site during which we find pantaloon bees, spectacular Jersey tiger moths and increasingly rare wall brown butterflies. 'If brownfield sites are left to sit around for a while, they develop into really rich habitats. This would've been a very desolate space full of sand, concrete and tarmac and now we've got this wonderful nature reserve. There's so much structural diversity and the more structural diversity you have, the more biodiversity you have – that's what makes this place so special.' Canvey Wick was green grazing marshes until humans ruined them – and inadvertently made one of the most nature-rich places in Britain. An oil refinery was planned for Canvey Wick in the early 1970s. The ground was raised with dredging from the Thames: sands, shingle and even seashells. Concrete roads and street lamps were built. Thirty two and a half circular asphalt pads were constructed as bases for vast oil storage containers. And then the 1973 oil price shock halted work. The refinery was abandoned. Over the next 50 years, nature raced in. The unusual diversity of soil types and hot microclimates attracted an unusual range of invertebrates: there are 250 species of bee, wasp and ant on the site, including the brown-banded carder bee, five-banded weevil-wasp and carrot mining bee. They feed on an unconventional mix of native and non-native flowers including bristly oxtongue and everlasting pea. As the human ruins subside beneath greenery, conservationists must manage the rapidly changing site to balance the competing needs of different rare species. What's great for nightingales – more scrub – will cause many heat-loving invertebrates to disappear. When the site was first designated an SSSI in 2005, there was just 15% scrub and tree cover. Today it is more like 70%. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion 'Some scrub is great but having that open mosaic flower-rich grassland is really important,' says Outten. 'How do you strike the balance between clearing areas and retaining nightingale habitat? A lot of this is cutting-edge stuff. 'Restoring' brownfield is not something many organisations have got into.' A three-year project at Canvey has cut back some scrub, and created new scrapes of bare sand required by rare invertebrates and species such as adders. The cut-and-scraped areas are now burgeoning with wildflowers and insects again, while cleared ditches are home to scarce emerald damselflies and blue-eyed hawker dragonflies. Conservationists hope it will inspire the creation of more brownfield nature reserves. 'Canvey Wick demonstrates how brownfield sites can be transformed into vibrant green spaces that serve the community and provide important habitats for wildlife,' says Alan Carter, the chief executive of the Land Trust. 'We are extremely proud of the regeneration efforts carried out since taking on the ownership of the site in 2012. The site is now one of the top locations in Britain for endangered invertebrates, an impressive achievement.' Although important parts of Swanscombe peninsula were saved from development threats when Natural England designated it an SSSI in 2021, Buglife is calling on the government's wildlife watchdog to urgently give more sites the same protection, including Tilbury ash fields. Natural England has 'Thames estuary invertebrates' in Essex and Kent listed in its SSSI designation 'pipeline' but the watchdog has been criticised for failing to designate many endangered places in recent years. Carl Bunnage, head of nature policy at RSPB, said: 'Brownfield sites are not always just dead, ugly and abandoned spaces. Indeed, as Canvey Wick shows, they can provide specialist habitats and be havens for nature – full of life of all kinds. With the government currently driving reforms to the planning system in England, and prioritising the re-development of brownfield sites, it is vital that the nature-value of sites is properly assessed before planning decisions are taken.' Conservationists hope Canvey Wick can also inspire smaller ways of attracting rare wildlife: depositing piles of sand or crushed concrete on a place may not look conventionally pretty but it will create soils and microclimates where myriad wildflowers and invertebrates can thrive. Outten, who was raised in the area, hopes Canvey will inspire the creation of other similar nature reserves so there is a network for rare species, which can be enjoyed by the local community as well. 'People feel passionately about it. We want to strike the balance between giving people a place where they can access green space but also protect the species that the site is important for. It's a unique place. There's nowhere else like it,' he said.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
A taste of Swedish island life – but on the mainland, near Stockholm
I moved to Stockholm from London for work a decade ago. As a newcomer with a passion for nature, I remember being eager to soak up the region's archipelago of 30,000 islands and rocky outposts. But I was overwhelmed by complex public ferry timetables to dozens of places ending in the letter 'ö' (the Swedish word for island) and uninterested in pricey cruise boats packed with tour groups. Then a former flatmate recommended Nynäshamn, which is on the mainland but embodies much of the nature and spirit of Stockholm's archipelago. It's home to a tasteful waterfront of colourfully painted bars and restaurants and a harbour packed with boats every summer, from simple dinghies to luxury yachts. Beyond, you can look across a clean, calm stretch of Baltic Sea, towards the island of Bedarön, flanked by pine trees and a smattering of dark red detached houses. Mention Nynäshamn to Stockholmers and most will probably describe it as the port you pass through to catch the four-hour ferry to Gotland – Sweden's largest island – or an overnight cruise to Gdańsk in Poland. But for international tourists (or new Swedish residents, as I was), it is an entry-level coastal destination where you can get a taste of the city's island life without the complex logistics. Nynäshamn is on the commuter rail line from central Stockholm, and reachable in an hour. A one-way journey costs 43 kroner (£3.30), or it's free if you have a valid monthly or weekly pass for the capital's public transport system. For a little more adventure, it takes a further 30 minutes to reach Nåttarö, the closest island accessible by a public ferry service (£8 each way). My first destination in Nynäshamn is Trehörningen, an island suburb accessible by bridge, and just a 30-minute stroll from the train station. The route takes in a mishmash of glassy new-build apartments, low-rise 1960s rent-controlled flats and mansions with manicured gardens. Nynäshamn doesn't have the swagger of swankier seaside towns in the region, such as Sandhamn or Saltsjöbaden, but it offers a slice of real-life small town Sweden far removed from the well-trodden tourist itineraries that typically lead to Stockholm's medieval Old Town or isolated rural retreats. 'It's very good for my health,' says Hans 'Hasse' Larsson, a smiley 73-year-old former truck driver who moved to Nynäshamn from Stockholm 16 years ago. He enjoys the clean air and quiet lifestyle, and describes a stronger sense of community compared with the somewhat stiffer Swedish capital. 'Even if you don't know people very well, you'll say 'hej'!' he laughs. Sweden isn't a budget destination, but thanks to a favourable exchange rate, prices aren't extortionate compared with those in popular British seaside destinations I've visited, such as Brighton or St Ives. On Trehörningen island, it costs from just over £100 a night to rent a compact wooden cottage for two from Oskarsgatan 12 B&B. A breakfast buffet and spa entry package at the nearby Nynäs Havsbad hotel works out at around £45. The spa's pavilion is a reconstruction of an art nouveau-inspired resort built in 1906, complete with an outdoor hot tub, a sauna and panoramic views. The hotel complex includes original buildings from the early 20th century, when it was a base for sailors during the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games. From here, it's a short walk to Strandvägen, a French riviera-inspired waterfront road built for spectators of sailing. As locals will proudly tell you, it is the only place in the Stockholm archipelago region where you can see the horizon from the mainland. The scenic route winds towards Lövhagen, a wooded area offering shady trails and picnic tables. There are rocky swimming coves too – although, with average outdoor temperatures of 18C in July and August, the chilly waters won't be to everyone's taste. For walkers, Nynäshamn is also a gateway to Sörmlandsleden, a system of hiking trails covering around 620 miles in total and clearly marked with orange arrows and painted tree markers. Section 5:1 from Nynäshamn passes through mossy forests and grassy farmland to the village of Osmö, where you can catch a train back to Nynäshamn or continue another nine miles to Hemfosa, snaking past Lake Muskan's glistening waters. Back at Nynäshamn's main harbour, the restaurants are filling up with tourists hungry for lunch. The most famous spot is Nynäs Rökeri, a smokehouse dating back almost 40 years, where a platter of smoked salmon, seafood and potato salad costs less than £20. The adjacent delicatessen stocks fresh fish and classic Swedish treats, from cheesy västerbotten pie to crispbreads and lingonberry jam. A nearby courtyard is shared with customers visiting the ice-cream store Lejonet & Björnen, a small cafe and a gift shop. The sweet smell of cinnamon wafts in the air and I spot the familiar logo of Skeppsbro Bageri, an award-winning Stockholm bakery that has a food truck parked on the waterfront, packed with fresh bread, buns and pastries. 'I like it here,' says Emelie Elison, the 24-year-old student who is working in the van for her third summer in a row. 'There are a lot of people and there's always something happening.' Sweden's cities empty out in July, as locals flock to the coast to spend the summer in wooden holiday cottages. There are more than 600,000 of these holiday homes, known as fritidshus, which are often passed down through generations; almost half of children with at least one Swedish parent have access to one. They also have plenty of time to enjoy them – most Swedish employees are entitled to four consecutive weeks off each summer. After a grey morning, the sun comes out as I join the ferry queue for Nåttarö. Many around me are armed with bags of groceries, backpacks and even suitcases, intending to stay at least a week. But one sporty-looking couple, carrying only tiny running backpacks, tell me they are fellow day-trippers from Stockholm, planning to run a six-mile loop of the Stockholm Archipelago Trail, a newly marked hiking and trail-running route stretching 167 miles across 20 islands. Most tourists visiting Nåttarö take things at a slower pace. It's a small, car-free island with one simple convenience store and two restaurants by the harbour. The main draws are the pine-lined walking trails, rocky clifftops and sandy beaches. There are 50 wooden cabins for hire (sleeping up to six people, £90 a night). The campsite is priced at less than £5 a night, including access to pristine showers, compost toilets and dishwashing facilities. Wild camping is allowed too, thanks to allemansrätten, Sweden's right to roam policy. I take a 1¼-mile trail to Skarsand, a small beach in the north-east of the island. I have fond memories of celebrating a friend's 40th birthday here a couple of years ago, when we camped with friends and their kids, cooking dinner on the beach's public grill. Today, despite being peak holiday season, I have it all to myself, save for some passing hikers. The sunny afternoon passes quickly, and a couple of hours later I'm back on the ferry for Nynäshamn. The Stockholm pair have made it too, having successfully completed their run. They are eagerly awaiting a pizza reward at Maggan's, another popular restaurant in Nynäshamn's harbour, and tell me they've squeezed clean T-shirts into their backpacks to change into. I'm planning a sunny evening drink on the waterfront too. Tomorrow I'll be at my desk, catching up on emails – and researching my next coastal adventure.
