Between July 27th and August 2nd 2015, it’s National Parks Week! This week is dedicated to all of the UK’s 15 National Parks, which are split between England’s ten, Wales’ three and Scotland’s two.

England: Broads, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Lake District, New Forest, Northumberland, North York Moors, Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales and the South Downs.

Wales: Brecon Beacons, Pembrokeshire Coast and Snowdonia.

Scotland: Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.

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Our National Parks are large areas of protected land which allow us to escape from the busy ventures of your city or town, giving us a place to explore and find inspiration – a place which offers countless things to do for everyone, whatever your age! They aim to preserve that land to ensure that the villages, towns and landscapes included inside their perimeter remain untouched.

You may now be thinking, who looks after these national parks? The answer is that it’s really a joint effort to look after them, with none of them left unattended. One of the main organisations is called the ‘National Park Authority’ which is composed of up to 30 unpaid members – often locals who are happy to spend some time each week to maintain the landscape that surrounds them. There are also a whole host of paid staff for each park - you can discover exactly what opportunities they are involved in by watching the following video:

These parks are not funded by the residents who live there, but by the government. The amount of money that each one receives however is dependant upon multiple factors such as the amount of land it contains, as well as the number of people who reside in and visit them. The National Park Authorities decide what they will spend the money on, to best suit the interests of everyone. This could be spent on adding wardens and volunteers, or perhaps invested in the promotion of the park.

One of the other major benefits of a national park is the protection of the nature and wildlife. As the land is protected, this ensures that the animal’s natural habitats remain untouched, allowing them to prosper and for their numbers to grow. Additionally, if any of the animals’ food sources are damaged, it can be replenished by the individuals that help out.

The theme of 2015’s National Parks Week is ‘Landscapes of Plenty’. Instead of just being a place to walk, National Parks are home to ‘productive landscapes, providing some of the best produce, products, food, and drink in the country’ – something which really emphasises the importance of them.

Over the course of the week, the majority of the national parks will host a vast number of events which can be attended. The Pembrokeshire Coast, for example, is hosting a Robin Hood Treasure Trail each day which involves finding hidden treasure around Carew Castle and Mill – and that’s not the only one! There are many more each and every day for the full week.

If you have any free time at all over the next couple of weeks, make sure to visit your local national park, where you’ll almost certainly find many fun activities to join in with, or if you prefer, you can just enjoy a leisurely walk. Make sure to check out our website for all of your essentials, so that you can be fully equipped for an exciting day!