National Trust to restore nature across area bigger than Greater London

The trust will invite people to ‘adopt’ plots of land in Northern Ireland, Wales and England, including in Killerton, Devon (above). Photograph: Clive Nichols/National Trust Images

In past decades the focus has been on protecting beautiful landscapes such as the Lake District, trying to save the crumbling coast or breathing life into historic country houses.

Now the National Trust is marking its 130th anniversary by unveiling “moonshot” plans to address what it regards as the current national need – the climate and nature crises.