Wiltshire and New Forest organisations receive over £1 million from Green Recovery Fund
90 projects across the country in total were given cash
The Wiltshire Wildlife Foundation and the New Forest National Park Authority have been awarded big grants from the government's Green Recovery Challenge Fund.
WWT received £495,200 while the NFNPA were given £539,200.
Both grants are to help run projects to help boost 'green jobs' and nature recovery across the country.
The New Forest National Park Authority’s scheme ‘Green and blue horizons from city to Forest’ will see them work with farmers, landowners, communities and volunteers to extend nature networks and create wildlife-rich corridors that link National Park habitats to neighbouring towns and cities.
Meanwhile, areas of grassland, woodland, hedgerows, streams and ponds will be improved.
Prof. Gavin Parker, Chairman of the New Forest National Park Authority, said:
"Green Recovery scheme funding is a great boost for the New Forest and will help with the recovery of nature and people. The award enables the National Park Authority to extend wildlife corridors, aid climate resilience, connect people with nature and help create green jobs."
In Wiltshire, the Trust will now be able to carry out a series of important conservation works across the county, to support the foundation of nature’s recovery and take “action for insects”.
They say this grant will enable them to carry out vital conservation work for insects across a range of different habitats, such as woodlands, meadows, chalk downland and our rivers and wetlands.
The funding lasts for 18 months.
Dr Gary Mantle, CEO of Wiltshire Wildlife Trust commented:
”The pandemic has highlighted the importance of nature to our health and wellbeing. In the face of the ecological and climate crisis we need to find better ways of valuing nature and tackling climate change. This grant will enable us to develop new ways of working to support nature’s recovery; enhancing and creating new habitat as part of a nature recovery network of sites across the catchment”.
You can find out about all the projects benefiting from the fund by going to the Heritage Fund website.