Projects across Scotland that save threatened species, restore flower meadows and reduce flooding have been awarded a share of £4 million.
Managed by NatureScot, the Helping Nature fund is an element of the Scottish Government’s flagship £65 million Nature Restoration Fund.
The fund supports practical nature restoration projects with grants of £25,000 to £250,000. In this latest round of awards, 27 projects have been offered grants totalling £4.1 million.
Projects offered Helping Nature funding include:
Saving a feisty little five – The Royal Zoological Society Scotland is being awarded £201,907 to help restore five highly threatened invertebrates: the pine hoverfly, the dark bordered beauty moth, the medicinal leech, the pond mud snail and the small scabious mining bee. The recovery of these highly range-restricted species will drive the restoration of connected, healthy habitats and inspire the next generation of conservationists through meaningful, paid work placements.
Tweed meadows – Merlindale Nature has been granted £140,416 to restore flower-rich meadow habitat across 19 sites, totalling 53 hectares, in the Scottish Borders. Tweed Meadows will make land-management changes which will tackle biodiversity loss and help to halt the decline of pollinators by reducing habitat loss and increasing food sources and connectivity.
River Earn restoration – This project will enhance natural flood management, reduce flow pressure and erosion and improve biodiversity on the River Earn. By removing a section of embankment, near the Bridge of Earn in Perthshire, the river will be reconnected with the flood plain on haugh land. As well as creating a new mosaic of open water and wetland habitats, existing habitat will be better connected with small, shallow ponds. Led by Lockett Agri-Environmental, this project receives £141,100.
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Posted On: 18/10/2023