The LIFE Programme is a European Community initiative which provides funding to encourage sustainable development and assist in the implementation of the European Commission’s environmental policies.

LIFE (the Financial Instrument for the Environment), which was introduced in 1992, is one of the spearheads of the European Union's environmental policy. It co-finances projects in three areas: LIFE-Nature, LIFE-Environment and LIFE-Third Countries.

The LIFE-Nature fund supports the positive management and enhancement of sites of European importance for nature conservation, collectively known as the Natura 2000 series of sites - SPAs and SCIs (Site of Community Importance).

English Nature is a key partner in the following projects, all of which have part-funding from the LIFE-Nature fund.

The LIFE website can be found at europa.eu.int/comm/environment/life

The New Forest LIFE project

The New Forest includes some of the most important and rare wetlands in Europe, but they and their threatened wildlife urgently need looking after. The New Forest LIFE 3 project, builds on the success of the previous LIFE 2 project. It is a four year initiative aiming to restore more than 600 hectares of rare and vulnerable wetland habitats which have declined over the last 200 years largely as a result of human activity. These habitats include valley mires, rivers and their floodplains and the project will help their natural re-establishment and future sustainability.

Visit the project website at www.newforestlife.org.uk

Limestone Country LIFE project

The objective of this project is to restore Habitats Directive Annex I habitats within the Ingleborough Complex and Craven Limestone Complex candidate Special Areas for Conservation to a favourable conservation condition by encouraging a return to mixed farming using hardy upland cattle breeds.

Visit the project website at www.limestone-country.org.uk

The Ravine WoodLIFE Project

The Ravine WoodLIFE Project is a woodland conservation partnership project working to restore ash woodlands in the Peak District in Derbyshire and the Wye Valley on the South Wales border.

Visit the project website at www.ravinewoodlife.org.uk

Mid Cornwall Moors LIFE project

The Mid-Cornwall Moors LIFE Project is a partnership project that aims to improve key habitats in central Cornwall. The key focus for this work is the marsh fritillary butterfly. In making things better for the marsh fritillary, the project will also assist in the economic regeneration of a part of Cornwall that has often been overlooked.

Visit the project website at www.midcornwallmoors.org.uk

Salisbury Plain LIFE project

English Nature is leading a major four-year restoration project, which began in September 2001, called the Salisbury Plain LIFE Project to improve the conservation management at four sites:
Salisbury Plain, Porton Down, Parsonage Down National Nature Reserve (NNR) and Pewsey Downs National Nature Reserve (NNR).

Visit the project website at www.english-nature.org.uk/salisbury

LIFE in UK Rivers

This was a project led by English Nature in a partnership with the Countryside Council for Wales, the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research. It focused on river Special Areas of Conservation and the 13 animals and plants of European importance that depend on them for their survival.

Visit the project website at www.english-nature.org.uk/lifeinukrivers

Living with the Sea

This was an EC Life Natura funded partnership project. It addressed the impact of sea level rise and the flood and coastal defense response on the internationally important habitats protected by the Habitats and Birds Directive.

Visit the project website at www.english-nature.org.uk/livingwiththesea

UK Marine SACs

The UK Marine SACs Project was set up to establish management schemes on selected marine Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). Its activities have focused on a selection of twelve marine SACs around the UK and on developing specific areas of knowledge needed for the management and monitoring of European marine sites.

Visit the project website at www.english-nature.org.uk/uk-marine