One of the best ways to promote a sense of community involvement in the cross border landscape management is to involve residents and landowners in landscape restoration and creation projects.

Community access, understanding and involvement are crucial to the long term management of natural sites. Signage, information and awareness raising events are vital to promote knowledge and understanding of nature to the wider community and encourage ongoing volunteer involvement.

The project aims to carry out a range of activities including wildlife events, volunteer and cross border workshops, pond educational projects. Involving local people and creating a sense of ownership and responsibility is a major factor for sustainable landscape management.

The Landscape and Nature for All project involved community groups in many different ways. Some examples to date include:

- Workshops on key indicator species monitoring

- Memory event

- Visit to develop greater understanding of landscape improvements

- Wildlife safaris

- Bird, bat and mammal walks

- Family fun days

Education and awareness activities in the Landscape and Nature for All pro ject are directed at two types of audience:

- Experts and scientists – to improve conservation knowledge (promotion of thematic working groups, development of cross border conservation inventories on little known species, development of action plans against invasive non-native species)

- The wider public and local stakeholders, through landscape and biodiversity awareness raising events, guided walks, volunteer training, and bilingual information leaflets.

Improved access to nature sites is a key aspect: Landscape and Nature for All project will use interpretation to improve the public’s understanding of the special qualities and management aims and objectives of a site. Interpretation and access are managed to promote understanding without compromising biodiversity or encouraging site degradation through excessive use or vandalism.