Plans to put new life and more miles in our national park

Wednesday 23 March 2016

It might not be the size of the Grand Canyon or Snowdonia but there are big plans to put the Jersey National Park on the map and even extend it as far as Plemont and St Brelade.

A group of volunteers have been working on a big re-brand for the 1,900 hectares of protected coastline from St Aubin to Grouville that includes the Island’s offshore reefs and they want to see even more of the coast protected in the future.

The Jersey National Park (formerly the Jersey Coastal National Park) officially re-launches on 3 May and the Interim Working Group have been working closely with the Island's commerce, hospitality, tourism, environment, heritage, agriculture and sports sectors to make the most of what the Group's Chairman Jim Hopley calls our "living, breathing, environment".

Mr Hopley says it's there for us to make the most of, a park where people live and work but is also a prime marketing tool and one he says has tourism written all over it. 

The group hopes to eventually push the boundaries of the National Park and are keen to see Plemont, Gorey, St Brelade’s Bay, more of the North Coast and Queen’s Valley become part of it sometime in the future, although ultimately it will be up to the Environment department to decide.

Environmentalist Mike Stentiford, a member of the IWG said: “It was part of the Island Plan but it’s like having a wonderful painting stuck in the cupboard. We’ve been putting meat on it and are bringing it out to show everyone.

“It’s fair to say as an Island over the last decade there’s been a lot of disagreement but one thing we all agree on is that we all live in a beautiful Island. This is about bringing people together to have pride in the Island.

“We’ve got beautiful coastline and it’s about time we re-acquainted people with it. The potential for the future is boundless. It’s a re-celebration of the coastline and Jersey as a whole.”

The Island’s Planning & Environment Minister Deputy Steve Luce said: “The official endorsement of Jersey’s Coastal National Park can be regarded as a celebration of everything that is best loved and appreciated by every Island resident.

“Whether living, working or simply enjoying its multitude of leisure activities, nurturing pride and respect in a landscape of such infinite natural beauty lies at the very heart of every national park’s aspirations.

"Despite its modest size, the quality and diversity of Jersey’s coast and countryside clearly demonstrate the significance of such truly deserved National Park status.”

The group have been working with Freedom Media on the big re-brand and a social media campaign to get us taking our own videos of our experiences in the park. The Jersey National Park 360° video competition launches on Tuesday 29 March and there's a 360° camera up for grabs for the best video posted in April.

If you want to shoot your own video in the park and book a 360° camera, contact phil@freedom.media.