ON Saturday, July 30, campaigning organisation 38 Degrees brought together hundreds of walkers and art-lovers on Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the charity Campaign for National Parks.

The Campaign for National Parks was created in 1936, when a group of people — passionate about the nation’s stunning open landscapes - decided to work together and launch a campaign to protect them for future generations.

Eighty years later and England, Scotland and Wales now has 15 designated national parks, bringing over £4-billion to the UK economy (through food, business, tourism and conservation) and 70,000 jobs. Which means they richly deserve to be cherished and protected!

In 2015, 38 Degrees started to lobby with the Campaign for National Parks for greater protection for the stunning landscapes, resulting in almost 200,000 of their members signing a petition to protect parks against a proposed £350-million cut in government funding. A further 68,000 members added their name to protect the national parks from fracking.

On Saturday, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of this amazing achievement and milestone, a record 1,860 walkers turned out for the ‘Inspired by Nature’ events, hosted by 38 Degrees.

People took part in either a professionally guided walk (sharing the very best that Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks have to offer), or joined a unique ‘art in nature’ walk with a very special arts workshop, curated by land artist Richard Shilling and hosted by local artists.

Maddy Carroll, 38 Degrees Campaign Director, said: ‘38 Degrees is the UK’s biggest people-powered organisation — with millions of members across the UK who work together to achieve great things. Eighty years ago people power led to the creation of national parks. This weekend thousands of people came together in every national park in Britain as tribute to those whose campaigning means that we can still enjoy these beautiful places today.’

Gemma Rogers, campaign and communications officer for Campaign for National Parks, said: ‘This weekend was a fantastic display of how much people care about some of Britain’s most beautiful landscapes.

‘National parks truly are sensational and it was great to hear from people at Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks who said how much they enjoyed themselves. We are so lucky to have worked with 38 Degrees again on this monumental occasion of our 80th anniversary and to celebrate the magnificence of national parks.’