Putting nature on road to recovery with Species Survival Fund

Putting nature on road to recovery with Species Survival Fund - Defra and Natural England

Government launches new multi-million pound fund to create and restore wildlife-rich habitats.

Lapwings, water voles and adders are among the thousands of species which could benefit from a major new government fund launched today (Friday 30th June) to boost the creation and restoration of natural habitats at scale - backed up by new fully-funded local nature recovery strategies.

Adder: a dark coloured snake with paler diamonds along its back curled in dead brown bracken, the distinctive V shaped marking behind the head is just visible — Adders are one of the thousands of species which benefit from the new strategies (image: Ian Lindsay)

The newly launched £25 million Species Survival Fund will help drive the action we need to halt the decline in species - the key government target. The new funding will support projects with grants of up to £3 million to tackle habitat loss, safeguard our fragile ecosystems and create nature-rich landscapes full of wildlife-friendly habitats such as grasslands, woodlands and wetlands.

This work could include restoring and connecting wildlife-rich habitats across a landscape, or developing the resilience of particular species such as reptiles, birds and pollinators. The scheme will also encourage green jobs and provide vocational employment opportunities.

Environmental not-for-profit organisations, National Park Authorities and AONBs, local authorities, farmers and land managers are all invited to apply for the funding and help the government create transformational nature projects.

To further drive nature recovery, 48 individual local authorities are also set to benefit as they receive their allocations from a £14 million funding pot enabling them to work with their local communities to develop a tailored nature recovery strategy for their area. With the best ways to support nature recovery depending on local geography, Local Nature Recovery Strategies will help communities map out the action needed in their area to restore nature, working closely with local stakeholders, from farmers to school children. When put together they will be a key way of meeting our England-wide nature targets.