Campaign for National Parks has launched its search for National Park heroes with its annual Park Protector Awards.

The awards, which are now open for nominations, recognise and reward the work underway to protect and improve National Parks in England and Wales for People, Nature and Climate.

As well as the main Park Protector Award and Volunteer of the Year, the charity has added a third New Perspectives Award this year to celebrate the work of those people and groups helping to amplify the voices of those less heard in National Parks. The call is now out in Dartmoor to nominate heroes from the national park on our doorstep.

‘We want to see nominations from every National Park in England and Wales,’ said Campaign for National Parks chief executive Dr Rose O’Neill.

‘The past few years have not been easy, but dedicated staff and volunteers have continued to step up to protect and improve National Parks; we feel it’s really important to recognise and reward that and are delighted to do that via our Park Protector Awards.’

The categories are: Main Park Protector Award – £1,000 prize (sponsored by WWF); People’s Choice: Volunteer of the Year – £500 holiday voucher + one-year subscription to BBC Countryfile Magazine (sponsored by Original Cottages); and New Perspectives Award – £1,000 prize.

Last year’s winners were Safer Lakes – the partnership approach to keeping Lake District National Park safe during the pandemic; and Rod Gentry – a volunteer Forestry England ranger working in South Downs National Park.

Nominations close on 19 June 2022. To find out more, or make a nomination, please visit: www.cnp.org.uk/park-protector-award