Five major nature recovery schemes announced across England

Tree planting will take place in Cambridge as part of the project in the area

Five major "nature recovery" projects across England will help tackle wildlife loss and climate change, the government said.

The schemes cover 99,200 hectares (245,000 acres) of land in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Somerset, the West Midlands and the Peak District.

The aim is to manage land sustainably and improve access to nature for people in cities and deprived areas.

Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said the projects were "critically needed".

"They will significantly contribute to achieving our target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030 and our commitment to protect 30% of our land by 2030, enabling us to leave the environment in a better state than we found it," she said.

All of the five projects will share an initial £2.4m from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), to create new habitats, manage land for nature and carbon storage and increase footpaths.

The Norfolk project aims to provide permissive access routes by foot and bicycle, along with links to the Norfolk Trails Network

The five projects are:

• Wendling Beck, Norfolk - The scheme near Dereham will restore and create habitat across 10,000 hectares of its river valley and farmland. More sustainable farming practices will be introduced and land will be enhanced to boost wildlife from turtle doves to green winged orchids.

• Cambridge Nature Network - The project aims to develop wildlife-rich and accessible habitats in and around the city, covering 9,200 hectares. New woodlands will be established and a new meadow created. Farmland will be converted into chalk grassland and tree planting will take place in the city.

• Purple Horizons - A scheme across about 10,000 hectares on the fringes of the West Midlands conurbation. It will focus on restoring and connecting fragmented heathlands, delivering habitat creation and carbon storage and connecting communities in Walsall with greener areas.

• Somerset Wetlands - Extending across about 60,000 hectares of the Somerset Levels and Moors, the project will restore ecological processes, manage wetlands sustainably, reduce pollution and improve resilience to floods and drought.

• Wye Valley, Peak District - The 10,000 hectares project will restore dewponds to support amphibians and bugs. Surveys will assess habitats and the opportunities for private investment for boosting nature. Hundreds of residents will receive special packs to help them connect with nature.

The Cambridge Nature Network project will make existing nature sites bigger, better and more connected

Natural England chairman, Tony Juniper, said: "Nature recovery can only occur if we take action at scale, and that can only work through partnerships.

"These five landmark projects will seek to recover species and habitats through collaboration among a wide range of landowners and organisations, delivering benefits for wildlife, local economies, adaptation to climate change and for public wellbeing."

Joan Edwards, director of policy at The Wildlife Trusts, said it was "good to see positive ambition" from the government to help people access nature near where they lived and connect existing wildlife sites.