Culture Nature England
Culture Nature England is a partnership between Libraries Connected and Natural England, the government's adviser for the natural environment. Twenty-six library services have been awarded up to £6,000 each to deliver work that helps their communities build connections with nature. This is the second year of the Culture Nature England partnership, after a successful pilot phase in 2023.
Among the Culture Nature England projects are an immersive sound and vision experience exploring nature and wildlife in Somerset, the development of an urban meadow in a deprived area of Blackpool and an investigation into the natural and archaeological history of Elmdon Nature Park in Solihull. Other projects include developing library gardens, making them bee friendly, creating places for growing food, running seed swaps, walks and talks in local green spaces, nature literary trails and mindfulness activities in nature. The projects, which started in October 2024 and concluded in March 2025, are designed to engage with diverse groups and communities. Below you can find case studies from some of the completed projects.
We are hoping to collaborate further with Natural England in the future, so please 'watch this space'!
Case Studies
Somerset: Celebrating Somerset
Somerset libraries, in partnership with Natural England, Somerset Wildlife Trust, National Trust and other nature partners hosted a series of inspirational and interactive events in February and March 2025 across five of their libraries, with some fun and educational activities to help the local community connect with nature sites across the county.
Somerset engaged with residents by involving five different libraries in immersive sound and vision experiences. Events were organised in Taunton, Yeovil, Bridgwater, Minehead and Glastonbury Libraries and include virtual tours of local nature sites, nature-based activities, and learning about nature. Content created as part of the project is to be made available via social media and through partners.
Hartlepool: Headland Nature Trail
Hartlepool’s project aim was to create a nature trail around the headland from the library, which included an annotated map and facts by a local artist. In addition, explorer backpacks were made available to borrow from the library which included useful items such as binoculars, magnifying glasses, and animal identification sheets/books.
The trail intended to encourage residents of all ages to take note of the nature surrounding their local area. Alongside the nature trail, creative sessions were also delivered as part of the project.
Nottinghamshire: Places to Connect
Nottinghamshire Library Service used two recently improved library gardens as part of their Places to Connect project. The idea was to encourage people to connect with nature throughout the session by facilitating exploration of local protected sites through led activities such as guided walks, as well as mapping of green infrastructure as part of library displays.
Camden: Camden Libraries and Camley Street Natural Park
Camden Libraries worked with two local schools to engage the children in nature. Working in partnership with the schools, the library gave two hour sessions to years 2 and 3 classes which began in the library with a nature-related story, as well as an introduction to the library and encouraging children to join. The group then walked to Camley Street Natural Park, using clipboards and paper to collect ideas to create a nature story by the end of the session. Following these sessions, parents were invited to engage with the project through events to celebrate the initiative.
Solihull: The Hill of the Elms
The Hill of the Elms project encouraged residents to investigate the landscape of Elmdon Nature Park and look for clues to its natural and archaeological history. Artists and technical specialists were commissioned to work with members of Solihull's Young Archaeologist's Club and the local community. The young people worked with a local filmmaker to create a film showcasing what has been discovered. An exhibition was then created to help people connect with the local park.
Partners
Staff
