The National Trust has launched plans to create 250,000 hectares of nature-rich landscape, with tenant farmers likely to be central in achieving this.
The conservation charity is marking its 130th anniversary with new ten-year proposals to address the climate and nature crises.
As part of the strategy, it will restore 617,500 acres-worth of peatlands, meadows, wetlands, woodlands and salt marsh, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Key to most of the work will be co-operating with tenant farmers and other environmental organisations, it said.
"We’ll support the network of farmers we work with across the land to be even bigger players in nature recovery and climate resilience, while producing good, healthy food and running sustainable businesses," the strategy details.
Recently, the trust acquired 78ha (193 acres) of disused farmland at Lunt, in Merseyside, where more than 90,000 trees will be planted.
The aim is to connect a mosaic of nature-rich landscapes together and become part of the Mersey Forest network.
But Hilary McGrady, National Trust's director general, admitted that a 'monumental effort' was needed to further the goal.
"Today, nature is declining before our eyes and climate change is threatening homes and habitats on a colossal scale," she said.
"We will ramp up our work to restore nature, both on our own land and beyond our boundaries."
Harry Bowell, director of land and nature, added that the trust was working with the farming community on the ten-year plan.
He said that while the 250,000a target was a 'moonshot' and 'audacious', it was 'one we think is practically achievable because of the mapping we’ve done.'
