The Usk Catchment Partnership has announced the appointment of We are Nature Based CIC to act as Nature Guardian to the core group of the Partnership.
This appointment signifies a pivotal moment in the partnerships’ ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and conservation within the Usk Catchment area by ensuring the rights of nature are enshrined into decision making processes.
The appointment follows an ongoing discussion within the Partnership about how to ensure that planning and policy development helps nature thrive.
Following a series of learning days and discussion with others who have successfully put nature on the board, such as Faith in Nature, the core group decided that there was opportunity to appoint a development position, to help progress and give voice to nature in the emerging Integrated Catchment Plan for the Usk (due for consultation at the end of this year).
The position of Nature Guardian is fixed term to cover a 24-month development and implementation period, and will culminate in the publication of a full job description, operating procedure and person specification, with the aim of handing on the position to two further nature guardians at the end of the term.
We are Nature Based are a Community Interest Company operating across the UK but with strong links to the Usk Catchment. The guiding ethos is to look to nature first in everything they do, they strongly believe in the importance of connecting people and organisations to nature in order to address the challenges that nature and climate emergencies pose.
The Usk Catchment Partnership itself is a collaborative programme dedicated to conserving and enhancing the natural resources of the Usk Catchment area. A diverse group of stakeholders works together to promote sustainable management practices, protect valuable habitats, and foster a thriving ecosystem. The partnership is hosted by Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority and funded by Welsh Government. Formed in April 2023 following a process of co-design with key stakeholders, the core group’s role is to formulate a plan for the ecological restoration of the River Usk, including but not limited to a plan to reduce nutrient loading within the Usk to help facilitate affordable housing, in line with the Welsh Government’s priority action plan.