Nature Conservancy Council was a government-appointed body concerned with all aspects of nature conservation in the United Kingdom. In 1990, it was disbanded into three separate organizations: the Countryside Council for Wales, English Nature (now part of Natural England), and Scottish Natural Heritage. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee coordinates the activities of these three regional bodies. Under the 1990 Environmental Protection Act, these groups designate national nature reserves, notify sites of special scientific interest, and are responsible for the nomination of marine nature reserves.
These organizations provide advice to local authorities, landowners, government departments, and others whose activities affect the countryside. They seek to make people aware of the need for conservation and the part they can play in caring for the environment. They also carry out research into ecology (the relations between living things and their surroundings), and the effect of people’s activities on wildlife.
