Twenty years ago, on 4^th April 2006, two Exmoor foals arrived at the Kielder forest in Northumberland to graze tough grass and encourage the growth of sedges and mosses loved by insects. Nicknamed Puddles and Prancer, their arrival marked the first of hundreds of Wildlife Trust projects - large and small - funded by Postcode Lottery players across Britain over the next 20 years.

Today, The Wildlife Trusts celebrate two decades of an extraordinary range of innovative nature recovery efforts, all achieved thanks to £31m raised by players of the Postcode Lottery. From beaver reintroduction trials, otter counts and inspirational education programmes to joyful community festivals – the funding has benefitted every corner of The Wildlife Trusts’ federation.

Among hundreds of other Wildlife Trust projects, support from players of the Postcode Lottery has enabled:

• Millions to take part in the nation’s annual nature challenge, 30 Days Wild
• Millions of seabirds to be protected on the Scottish island of Handa
• 100,000 hours of volunteer effort to be supervised by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
• 5,000 school children to learn about nature at Birmingham’s EcoPark
• 60 football pitches-worth of chalk grassland to be restored in south London

Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, says:

“Our strong and rewarding working relationship with the Postcode Lottery has been two decades in the making and we’re incredibly grateful to Postcode Lottery players who make all this possible.

“The climate change challenge facing us all is immense and this long-term support has helped Wildlife Trusts rise to this, working on an incredibly diverse range of projects - from educational events to innovative landscape-scale restoration. Every single staff hour funded and hectare of countryside restored all adds up to a united mission to save our natural world for wildlife and people.”

Laura Chow, Head of Charities at the Postcode Lottery, said:

“Our players recognise that environmental charities like The Wildlife Trusts are a force for good, with the power to deliver climate change programmes and influence how we all adapt our lifestyles going forward. This work is necessary, it’s crucial for all our futures. It’s also heartwarming and inspirational.

“To know that Postcode Lottery players have helped inner city children learn about the creatures living in their own backyards, to watch ospreys take flight, to hear that farmers are now trialling innovative crops on peatland: all this, plus so much more, is absolutely amazing - it’s a thrilling movement to be a part of”

A great legacy: pioneering projects from a 20-year programme

Projects restoring biodiversity and protecting species:

• Bison roam a Kent forest – the first in this country for thousands of years
• Scottish Beaver Trial brings beavers back to the UK after a 400-year absence
• A butterfly count across London collects 22,000 records in 3 years
• Surveys in Northumberland find evidence of otters at 91% of sites surveyed
• The ospreys of Loch of the Lowes return to a safe haven, year after year

Landscape restoration and adaptation – great pioneering projects on land and at sea:

• Innovative “wetter farming” crops are showcased on Cambridgeshire’s peaty fens
• In Sussex, a kelp forest decimated by bottom trawling is slowly brought back to life
• Essex saltmarshes are restored with the help of ingenious coir ‘saltmarsh sausages’
• A Sheffield flood management scheme begins. It will store 1500m³ of flood water
• Seagrass is returning to the Solent, with 1,025 seed bombs dropped into two plots
• The Great North Bog is being restored to store carbon, reduce flooding and more
• Amazing places are protected in Scotland, including an Argyll temperate rainforest
• AI and satellite technology is used to map landscapes accurately

Projects helping humans and bringing us closer to nature:

• The Bay project in Lancashire and Cumbria helps over 1,000 people cope with anxiety
• A Bradford project helps young Asian men find their feet through wildlife gardening
• My Wild Cardiff inspires and educates residents about urban wildlife
• Toad Day in London celebrates the annual return of toads to their home ponds
• A PhD student explores how past ecological events can inform nature restoration
• A recycled plastic boat, the Poly Roger, takes Birmingham children wildlife spotting
• An accessibility guide, A Space for Everyone, helps more people enjoy nature
• Urban forest schools are hosted around the UK
• Young people at wild summer camps in Powys debate their futures as campaigners

Paul Hadaway, Director of Conservation and Engagement for Kent Wildlife Trust, said:

"The initial Dream Funding from the Postcode Lottery in 2019 set us up perfectly for a project at the vanguard of conservation. Recognising the Postcode Lottery’s commitment to supporting new ways of doing things and taking learning from European conservation projects we have learned so much about bison and now we’re at the point where we’re actively supporting partners across the country in developing their own projects through our shared our knowledge and expertise."

Mike Pratt, chief executive of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, said:

“I remember the day, twenty years ago, when our two Postcode Lottery-funded Exmoor ponies arrived in the Kielder forest as conservation grazers. From this very first, tiny project, great things have arisen. So many of my colleagues across our federation of Wildlife Trusts have experienced big-hearted support and encouragement from the Postcode Lottery. It’s been on a massive scale and has made an incredible difference.”