Natural England

Did you know that there's growing evidence that being active in the natural environment improves your health and helps you feel more energetic and less stressed? Follow this green prescription [25 kb] for tips on how to get healthy outdoors.

Breathing Places aims to create or transform tens of thousands of wildlife friendly greenspaces, but did you know that Natural England already manages or supports a wide range of places you can visit to get a bit of the great outdoors?

Country Parks are an ideal place to go for some fresh air and space, whatever your age or level of fitness. Why not look up your where your nearest Country Park is? If you would like some company, why not join a local walking group with this walk finder? Natural England, the Big Lottery Fund and the British Heart Foundation support more than 400 local health walk schemes around England.

There are now over 1050 Local Nature Reserves in England, so there's bound to be one near where you live! They range from windswept coastal headlands, ancient woodlands and flower rich meadows to former inner city railways, long abandoned land fill sites to industrial areas now re-colonised by wildlife. Many of the local reserves are in urban areas, so if you're interested in wildlife see where your nearest local nature reserve is.

Natural England also manages a network of National Nature Reserves in England's wilder areas, including 35 Spotlight Reserves - see what's nearest you!

If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, why not walk part of a National Trail or take a trip out to a National Park? Did you know that you're never more than 50 miles away from a National Trail!

For more of a walk on the wild side, did you know that there are many areas of mountain, moor, heath or downland that you can go to? Or you may find that there is some registered common land near where you live that you may be able to go to - for more information on activities on "access land" see our countryside access things to do.

Looking for somewhere to enjoy nature or something wild to do at the weekend? Check out Breathing Places and events from all over the country.

For more inspiration on where to go and what to do, why not have a look at Natural England's countryside access pages? You can find lots of practical information on visiting the great outdoors under the directory section.