Breadcrumbs
Outdoor activities and the natural environment: getting the best out of both worlds - 17 March 2006
www.bobw.co.uk(BoBW) is a partnership between English Nature, the Countryside Agency and the Council for Physical Recreation (CCPR) and will help to increase opportunities for outdoor sports and appreciation and protection of the sensitive environments in which they take place.
Sarah Skinner from the Countryside Agency said: “We want to encourage more people to get out and enjoy the outdoors whether it’s climbing, walking, canoeing or taking part in large events open to the public. This site will provide constructive advice for those planning outdoor events with examples that show the potential to increase opportunities across all outdoor pursuits but in a well-managed way. Organisations are able to show their support for this approach by signing-up to these principles and in turn help to promote the benefits of both recreation and conservation.”
Chris Gordon, English Nature’s People and Nature Recreation Officer, said: “This website is a great way for conservationists and outdoor recreation organisations to work together to get the best outcome for people and for nature. The site shows some excellent examples of what can be done to achieve the best of both worlds, such as canoe companies getting involved in bird surveys. Together we can bring real benefits to the natural environment.”
Charlotte Edward from the CCPR said: “The natural environment isn’t a living museum - we want to see more people enjoying it and more people using it. Conservationists involved in this project understand that their efforts enhance people’s enjoyment of the natural environment. Likewise, the vast majority of people involved in outdoor pursuits are involved because they love the great British countryside. BOBW exists so that conservationists and outdoor enthusiasts can come together and work towards to the common goal of protecting and improving what they both enjoy.”
For more information visit www.bobw.co.uk
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For more information on the Best of Both Worlds website, please call Beth Rose in the Countryside Agency press office on 01242 533306.
Notes to editors
The Countryside Agency is the statutory body working to make the quality of life better for people in the countryside and the quality of the countryside better for everyone. It is a non-departmental body sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
The Agency is changing as the result of Defra's Rural Strategy (published in July 2004) and the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill which is expected to complete its passage through Parliament in spring 2006. The Bill includes changes to:
- establish a Commission for Rural Communities that will act as a rural advocate, expert adviser and independent watchdog, with a particular focus on disadvantage. Currently operating as a division of the Countryside Agency, the Commission will become an independent body when the Bill becomes law.
- form a single new body – Natural England – that will integrate the Landscape, Access and Recreation division of the Countryside Agency with English Nature and most of Defra’s Rural Delivery Service (RDS). Natural England will work for people, places and nature, with responsibility for enhancing biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas; promoting access, recreation and public well-being, and contributing to the way natural resources are managed – so that they can be enjoyed now and by future generations.
These changes are expected to come into effect in October 2006, at which point the Countryside Agency will cease to exist.
We may be changing, but our skills, knowledge and enthusiasm will continue to benefit people in rural England. To find out more about our work, and for information about the countryside, visit our website:
www.countryside.gov.uk
