Business and tourism user guide (LNRS)

Nature underpins the food we eat, the water we use and the places we live, making it one of the most valuable assets to our wellbeing and economy. Whether your business has lots of land or none, the business and tourism sector has a vital role to play in the recovery of nature across Suffolk and Norfolk. Every business can support nature by creating or improving places on your own site or supporting community initiatives through funding and volunteering.

Nature and tourism are inextricably linked in Suffolk and Norfolk. From the coast to the broads, most of our tourism is based around our wildlife. These spaces are directly feeling the impacts of a changing climate and depleted natural world with a fast-eroding coast, more frequent wildfires and polluted waterways.

Working to reverse nature’s decline won’t just help to cement the future of our tourism. Actions including tree and hedgerow planting, creating ponds and making meadows can help your business reduce flood risk, be more resilient to extreme heat and can improve staff wellbeing. Actions for nature are already being taken across Suffolk and Norfolk, and businesses can play a key role in financing nature-positive activities, as well as taking action in your community.

What is the LNRS?

The Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are guides that can help you make more and better-quality spaces for nature.

All the actions in the LNRSs are suggestions that you can choose to follow. No one is required to take action and the LNRS cannot create new protections or designations for land.

The LNRSs are made up of two components:

Explore the map

Whether your business has acres of land, a small garden or nothing at all the LNRS mapping can help you see what exists around your business and what actions are suggested.

The Local Habitat Map shows:

• Where there are ‘core sites’ for nature which are already protected. On the map, this layer is called Areas of Particular Importance to Biodiversity (APIB).
• Which areas could become important for nature if the suggested recovery actions are taken. On the map, this layer is called Areas that Could Become of Particular Importance to Biodiversity (ACB).
• The actions and places we are suggesting work could have the greatest impact for nature recovery. These are called Potential Measures. There are actions related to a wide range of habitats and species, and many will have wider benefits to people, including reducing flood risk and boosting wellbeing.

If your area is not mapped, there is still a lot you can do. Many nature recovery actions are not site specific and would be beneficial in a wide range of areas, whether in your school or in the surrounding community. In the LNRS these are called ‘unmapped measures’.

Unmapped measures

There are actions which were not possible to map. Many of these are actions for urban and built spaces, including increasing urban tree cover and wildlife-friendly gardening. Even if your business has a very small amount of space some of these could work for you.

Other ways to get involved

If you can’t take action on your own site, there is still plenty you can do. Use the map to see what is suggested in your community or look for projects or initiatives in your local area and see whether you can support them through funding, resource provision of staff volunteering.

Volunteer

If you are interested in local volunteering opportunities, the Norfolk and Suffolk Nature Recovery Partnership has a list of the organisations and projects looking for volunteers across Suffolk and Norfolk.

Fund a project

Support a project in your community or get involved in the Norfolk and Suffolk Nature Recovery Partnership to join a network of organisations taking action for wildlife. Investing in projects helps them to achieve more and helps provide a more sustainable future for businesses and tourism in Suffolk and Norfolk. You can see examples of projects in the LNRS case studies, and on the LNRS project map (launching late 2026).

Sustainability goals

If your business has sustainability goals or targets, the LNRS could help you reach those. Wetlands, trees and hedgerows all naturally capture carbon.

If your business is in an area prone to flooding, consider getting involved in waterways work. Part C of the LNRS has specific actions for restoring rivers and wetlands habitats.

Be visible

Businesses across Suffolk and Norfolk are already taking action for nature, and we want to hear about it. If you are involved in nature-recovery projects of any size, you can tell others about your work through reporting it on the LNRS Monitoring Hub (due to launch late 2026). Boost the visibility of your project and consider submitting a case study for the LNRS.