Communities and other groups in and around the Cairngorms National Park with creative ideas for biodiversity projects are being encouraged to apply for funding from the Biodiversity Grant Scheme.
Around £30,000 is still available from the scheme which was launched last August and is supported by the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA), Scottish Natural Heritage, LEADER+ and three local authorities.
Activities such as the conservation of important local species and habitats, and which reflect the aims of the Cairngorms Local Biodiversity Action Plan, are eligible for 100 per cent funding (up to a maximum of £5,000) and projects should have wide community involvement.
Some groups that have already received funding for projects in the grant scheme’s first year are:
- Grampian Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group was awarded £5,000 for a project in Strathdon to develop farm action plans that will help conserve lapwings and to undertake a survey on current lapwing populations.
- The Laggan Forest Trust was awarded £4,900 for the development of a wildlife garden and pond for the Laggan community.
- The Glen Tanar Charitable Trust was awarded £500 to host a public event which showed people how to build bird boxes and garden animal feeders from waste materials.
- The community of Insh was awarded £4,500 to develop and manage a community meadow and woodland for the benefit of biodiversity and people.
- Crathes School was given £5,000 to create wildlife gardens and a vegetable garden in the school grounds as an educational resource for pupils.
Biodiversity Officer for the Cairngorms, Stephen Corcoran said: “The Biodiversity Grant Scheme is proving very popular but there are still funds available for those groups with ideas for projects that will be help enhance and conserve the variety of life here in the Cairngorms.
“Some projects we are currently looking at approving range from barn owl projects in the Angus Glens and Perthshire to surveys of waders and goldeneye ducks in Strathspey.”
For more information on the Biodiversity Grant Scheme, contact the Cairngorms Biodiversity Officer, Stephen Corcoran at the CNPA offices in Grantown-on-Spey, tel: 01479 870528 / email: stephencorcorancairngorms.co.uk