Over £15million awarded to protect habitats in Wales - Heritage Fund

Twenty-eight projects have received grants up to £1m to restore and improve biodiversity across land and sea.

From wetlands to woodlands, grasslands to coasts, the projects will help build a stronger, more resilient network of protected sites across the nation.

Communities will be encouraged to get involved through project activities and contribute to landscape-scale nature recovery.

Now in its fifth round, the funding comes from the Nature Networks Fund which we are delivering on behalf of the Welsh Government and in partnership with Natural Resources Wales.

Since 2021 the programme has supported 147 projects across Wales with over £54m.

Whispers of the woodlands: saving the brown long-eared bat

The Bat Conservation Trust is receiving £249,630 for a Wales-wide project focused on the conservation of the brown long-eared bat, affectionately known as the whispering bat.

The project will support the management of protected woodland habitats, undertake tree roost surveys, enhance data collection and connect local people to wildlife through a variety of events and activities.

Botanical Futureproofing for Protected Sites in Wales

Vulnerable plant species will be safeguarded by The National Botanic Garden of Wales thanks to a £823,320 grant. The project will provide critical equipment and expand threatened flora collections housed in the National Seed Bank of Wales, which currently conserves just 11% of Welsh flora. The funding will also support infrastructure improvements to the 150-hectare Waun Las National Nature Reserve with nature-friendly grazing methods in mind.