Nature Restoration Fund in the UK

Deadline: 26-Nov-21

The Highland Council is accepting applications for the Nature Restoration Fund that is designed to support new projects, or to enhance existing approaches, to restore biodiversity.

Aims

The Highland Council have committed to use £200,000 awarded to them to run a small grants programme for capital projects below the minimum grant threshold offered by NatureScot and that deliver the following aims:

Making Space For Nature (nature based solutions for biodiversity and climate change); and
Helping Nature Recover (biodiversity enhancement, climate resilience and reinstatement).

Funding Information

The newly established Scottish Government fund with a total allocation of £10 million, is additional support to help fund projects that will deliver nature restoration, safeguard wildlife, and tackle the causes of biodiversity loss due to climate change.

Types of projects the Nature Restoration Fund will support

Making Space For Nature theme
- Examples of capital items to include but are not limited to:
  - Wee Forests (purchase and planting of trees)
  - Rain gardens (construction and materials plus planting)
  - Improving Greenspace for Outdoor Learning (purchase and planting, equipment for outdoor learning, small access improvements)
  - Action for pollinators (equipment for maintaining wildflower areas/verges plus planting)
  - Improving condition and use of LNRs (purchase and planting, equipment for outdoor learning, small access improvements)
  - Greening Active travel routes (purchase and planting)
  - Urban woodlands – Climate forests (purchase and planting)
Helping Nature Recover theme
- Examples of capital items to include but are not limited to:
  - Planting of wildlife corridors, removal of barriers to movement, pollinator planting
  - Natural flood management actions such as connecting rivers with flood plains, pond creation, de-culverting, in-stream works for habitat and flow variability
  - Removal of INNS
  - Habitat and species enhancement works using native stock, enhancing natural coastal defences through marram, addressing coastal squeeze.
  - Supporting building the evidence base to better inform restoration, recovery and wider enhancement efforts.