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Sunnyhill Consultants

Creative Collaboration

Catalysing Nature Recovery through the Power of Creative Collaboration

At Sunnyhill Consultants, we believe that the most pressing environmental challenges demand bold thinking and collective action. The Catalysing Nature Recovery for People and Nature project exemplifies this approach, proving that real change happens through collaboration and when diverse sectors come together to reimagine traditional sector norms.  Sunnyhill Consultants working with Earth Trust and 3 Keel found that through creative collaboration, it is possible to spark innovation in how we design, manage, and connect green spaces. unlocking nature recovery, encouraging more biodiversity, and providing more opportunities for people to connect with nature. 

A New Systems Approach to Green Spaces

Green spaces are often viewed in isolation—an urban park here, a nature reserve there—but the reality is that nature thrives in interconnected systems. This project challenges what could be perceived as traditional siloed thinking by advocating for a refreshed vision and a holistic, networked approach to green space strategy. Whether it’s integrating biodiversity corridors into transport planning, balancing nature recovery with inclusive community access or joined up thinking and connectivity of parks, gardens and nature reserves. The findings make one thing clear: true environmental progress requires breaking down barriers between sectors, disciplines, and ways of working.

Rethinking Collaboration

One of the most exciting aspects of this research is its emphasis on reconfiguring traditional partnerships. This research funded by the Oxford-Cambridge Pan-Regional Partnership and Natural England convened stakeholders from across the country,  conservation, farming, business, infrastructure, and government in a new forum. By engaging over 30 organisations through workshops and focus groups, the project has surfaced innovative models for shared responsibility and action, suggesting that nature recovery can be catalysed by whole system support, awareness, and action. 

Unlocking the Potential of Green Spaces

The research highlights several key opportunities for change and catalyse nature recovery:

  • Building a more connected network of green spaces, ensuring continuity for both wildlife and communities.
  • Developing sustainable funding models that reflect the full range of benefits green spaces provide, from carbon sequestration to mental wellbeing.
  • Enhancing cross-sector collaboration to embed nature recovery in planning, infrastructure, and urban development.
  • Balancing access with conservation to ensure that green spaces serve both ecological and community needs.

Systemic change takes everyone and must bridge the gap between business, civil society, government and academia. The depth of cross-sector engagement that we’ve seen in this comprehensive research project has been extremely encouraging, revealing some very significant opportunities.

Russell Ashfield, Principal Consultant – Team Lead, 3Keel

A Call to Action

As Dr. Jayne Manley, Founder and Director of Sunnyhill Consultants, notes, “The key to unlocking the full potential of green spaces is reimagining how we work together. No matter our sector, we must share a vision where green spaces become the engine rooms of meaningful change.”

The Catalysing Nature Recovery project is more than research—it’s a blueprint for how we can think and act differently in the face of environmental challenges. It calls on all of us—planners, businesses, policymakers, and communities—to embrace system thinking, experiment with new collaborations, and push the boundaries of what’s possible. It’s only through optimising parks, gardens, roadside verges, nature reserves, country parks, and protected landscapes, and sharing learning, improving skills and adding value to investment that we can deliver resilience and nature recovery.

At Sunnyhill Consultants, we are committed to driving this change, helping and enabling organisations to navigate complexity, break silos, and build solutions that deliver for both nature and people. But it doesn’t end there, these insights need to be turned into action.

The full report on Catalysing Nature Recovery can be found here

At Earth Trust, we believe that nature recovery works best when people and places are at the heart of it. This research highlights how working together across different sectors can create thriving green spaces that support both wildlife and communities and break down barriers.

Verity Warne, Director of Development & Movement Building, Earth Trust