When we use the phrase ‘natural environment,’ we mean everything, including forests, fields and rivers that most people associate with nature.
But it also includes – and this is of particular relevance in Greater Manchester – canals and reservoirs, and urban green space (gardens, parks and street trees), as well as the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil we dig in our allotments or build on.
Included within the boundaries of Greater Manchester are:
• 3 European Special Areas of Conservation;
• 1 European Special Protection Area;
• large parts of the South Pennines Integrated Biodiversity Delivery Area;
• 21 Sites of Special Scientific Interest;
• 535 Sites of Biological Importance;
• 57 Local Nature Reserves;
• major river corridors including the Mersey;
• A wide range of public parks and private gardens.
