Natural Assets Group
Meet the Natural Assets Group
The Natural Assets Group provides expert leadership on the understanding, protection, and enhancement of the Tees Valley’s natural environment. Acting as the technical and evidence-based arm of the Tees Valley Nature Partnership, the group ensures decisions and investment are guided by robust ecological data and best practice. It champions the region’s natural capital, aligns policy and delivery with the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) and Protected Site Strategy (PSS), and supports the development of investable, high-quality projects that deliver measurable biodiversity, carbon, and community outcomes. The group fosters collaboration between ecologists, planners, land managers, and academics to ensure the Tees Valley’s natural assets are valued, restored, and managed for long-term resilience.
Strategic Lead
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Tom Harman
Natural Assets Chair
"The Tees Valley Nature Partnership is uniquely positioned to enable nature recovery at a scale and pace that the region urgently needs. As the strategic alliance for the area, the Partnership provides the only space where industry, local authorities, the Combined Authority, and the conservation sector can work together constructively. This collaboration is essential not only for resolving competing pressures but for unlocking shared solutions that enable significant, long‑term environmental and economic gains.
The Partnership is already the incubator for major conservation initiatives, generating projects that would simply not emerge without its cross‑sector leadership. It is uniquely placed to accelerate these efforts, driving nature restoration at landscape scale, empowering communities to shape local environmental priorities, and strengthening the resilience of the Tees Valley economy by ensuring that growth and nature recovery progress hand in hand."
Key Responsibilities:
1.
Providing expert input on habitats, species, and natural capital priorities.
2.
Informing the development and delivery of LNRS.
3.
Identifying opportunities for nature recovery at scale.
4.
Supporting evidence-led decision making and prioritisation.
5.
Advising on the feasibility and impacts of proposed interventions.
6.
Acting as a link between local knowledge, statutory evidence, and delivery partners.
Our aims for this year:
Ensure the environmental sector is actively supported and represented within the evolving public health agenda in the Tees Valley. This will include articulating five key evidence bases that demonstrate how access to, and engagement with, nature improves health and wellbeing outcomes.
Identify, document, and promote case studies and exemplar projects from across the Tees Valley that demonstrate the positive impact of nature-based interventions on health and wellbeing. These will be compiled into accessible, evidence-informed materials to influence both policy and practice.
Strengthen communication and coordination across key regional initiatives — particularly TUNN (Tees Urban Nature Network) and GCNE (Green Communities North East). Regular updates will be shared via email and through existing networks to ensure alignment and maximise collective impact.
Become a member of the Natural Assets Group
Membership of the Natural Assets Group is open to professionals, practitioners, and partners committed to advancing nature recovery within the Tees Valley.
All participants are required to be members of the Tees Valley Nature Partnership (TVNP) to ensure shared accountability and alignment with the partnership’s wider strategic goals.
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Natural Assets
Annual Nature Partnership Conference
5 December 2025