29 new projects announced that will help ‘Team Wales’ tackle climate and nature emergencies

From donkeys in Snowdonia to the salmon of the River Usk and everything in between, the Welsh Government has today confirmed 29 projects across Wales that will benefit from the Nature Networks Fund.

The Nature Networks Fund was confirmed in March this year with the Welsh Government promising to invest in the ‘condition and connectivity’ of the protected site network, supported by the ‘active involvement of local communities’.

The Minister confirmed £7m of Welsh Government support for these projects in the Senedd where she said: “Tackling the climate and nature emergencies is at the heart of everything we do – we must protect our environment for future generations to enjoy.

“Recognising the importance of harnessing the power of local communities, this funding will support citizen science, school engagement programmes and volunteer training to build networks of people engaged with these sites, which are cornerstones of our nature recovery work.

“We need a ‘Team Wales’ approach if we are to achieve our ambitious plans to restore nature. We want everyone in Wales to see nature – because if people engage with nature, they value nature.”

The sites supported provide a vital sanctuary and high level of protection to nearly 70 species, and more than 50 types of habitats which face threats worldwide.

They also contribute significantly to the Welsh economy through tourism recreation, farming, fishing and forestry. And they provide vital life-support services for all of us – including purifying drinking water, and storing carbon.

National Heritage Memorial Fund has taken responsibility for administering the Nature Networks Fund, Andrew White – Director of The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales said: “From restoring wetlands, to creating rich habitat for wildlife to flourish, it is vital that we preserve and rebuild our natural heritage.

“The Nature Networks scheme, in partnership with the Welsh Government, will allow projects to carry out direct conservation which is essential in protecting our biodiversity, and will also increase public awareness of how and why we need to protect our future.”

Project SIARC (Sharks Inspiring Action and Research with Communities), operating in Carmarthen Bay and Tremadog Bay is just one of the projects to benefit from this announcement.

The collaborative project led by ZSL (Zoological Society of London) and Natural Resources Wales received £390,000, alongside funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund and On the EDGE Conservation, to carry out vital conservation research on Wales’ marine environment with a strong focus on sharks, skates and rays.

They will use the funding to catalyse links between fishers, researchers, communities and government to help safeguard these species and support a green recovery in Wales.

Joanna Barker, Senior Project Manager at ZSL, said: “We’re excited to scale up our collaboration with fishers and complete innovative research to better understand the amazing shark, skate and ray species that use two of Wales’ Special Areas of Conservation.

“With several opportunities for schools and local communities to be part of Project SIARC, we hope to generate a new appreciation of the underwater environment in Wales and identify ways for a wider range of people to get involved.”

The funding has been allocated as below:

Restoring the Moelyci SSSI land, Snowdonia Donkeys CIO – £63,300

This project will aim to improve the condition of over 85 acres of SSSI land on Ffarm Moelyci and enable it to be better managed in the future and enjoyed by more people. Strengthen links with researchers and wildlife specialist and organisations, establish more volunteering opportunities and provide training.

Lake Vyrnwy, RSPB Cymru – £499,500

Project aims to improve the condition and resilience of the RSPB’s landholdings around the Lake Vyrnwy Estate, benefitting from a wider programme of work. This funding would support key conservation actions including blanket bog restoration on former conifer plantation, predator control, landscape scale approaches, including farmer-led support, and enhanced conservation grazing.

Woodland Management in the Meirionnydd, The Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw in Wales) – £210,500

Work on designated sites will deliver against our woodland management plans, which will be approved by Natural Resources Wales. Progress the restoration and preservation of three planted ancient woodland sites in and around the SAC, reducing threats and reversing the decline in nature of these rare and valuable habitats.

Luronium Futures- Montgomery Cana, Canal & River Trust – £357,800

Site of SSSI due to aquatic, emergent and marginal plant communities of exceptional interest. The towpath affords easy access for local people and visitors. This project aims to improve the canal channel conditions for rare plants and to enhance to conservation status of the SAC.

Restoring resilience to Welsh woodlands, North Wales Wildlife Trust – £500,000

The project will improve the ecological condition and resilience of woodland protected sites located across North Wales, including eligible North Wales Wildlife Trust-owned SSSIs and the Alyn Valley Woods Primary aims.

Upper and middle Dee invasive non-native species management, North Wales Wildlife Trust – £500,000

This project will manage invasive plants on the banks of the Dee between Corwen and Newbridge, including tributaries leading into the SAC and associated land. Will also carry out community engagement including awarding community grants for training and equipment to enable local groups to undertake the long term management of INNS.

North wales Cotoneaster Control, North Wales Wildlife Trust – £500,000

The project will survey and monitor cotoneaster on 19 SSSIs and one local nature reserve. It will also carry out community engagement including training community groups and volunteers in cotoneaster monitoring and control for longer term site management.

Cernydd Carmel restoration, Carmarthenshire County Council – £87,400

The project would pay for a comprehensive survey to establish the baseline data to begin the process to restore the dry and wet heath to a favourable condition. Will bring community benefits in the form of more informative educational opportunities, opportunities to volunteer in the on-going maintenance of the SAC and providing an exemplar site for study and research into this threatened habitat.

Mewn Dau Gae – Achub Brith y Gors, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority – £99,100

This investment will provide both species with large networks of contiguous, species-rich grassland and heath to survive and thrive. Main focus is to safeguard the Marsh fritillary and Southern damselfly populations, who are hugely dependent upon large grazing animals, preferably cattle, to maintain their special habitats.

Former Tredegar Golf Course Biodiversity Enhancement Project, Newport City Council – £73,000

The construction of a specially designed Sand Martin Hotel on the bank of the River Ebbw at the Former Tredegar Park Golf Course. Gwent Ornithological Trust (GOT) will utilize the building to monitor the sand martin population. Will include other works such as litter removal, knotweed management and provision of Otter Holts and Amphibian enhancements.

Ciliau Farm building nature’s resilience, Ciliau Farm – £65,000

The farm has four SSSI’s with otters, dormice and an exceptional range of habitats currently under threat in Western Europe. This project will link the SSSSI’s through creating woodland corridors to increase habitat and connectivity. Will host species walks bilingually, Open Days and a student biodiversity camp and work digitally with schools and produce a website for wider engagement.

Monkey Island Biodiversity & Visitor Project, Newport City Council – £88,000

Designated Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) due to its post-industrial grassland habitat as well as SSSI & SAC. A number of conservation management actions are included in this project to improve biodiversity & to encourage people to visit and appreciate the wildlife.

Shaftsbury Park Old Allotment Restoration Project, Newport City Council – £53,000

The project will commission a contaminated land survey report, design/site investigation/regulators and licencing proposal as well as a costed work plan to remove / make safe the contaminated land to allow public access once more.

Nature Reserve enhancements for biodiversity resilience, Gwent Wildlife Trust – £379,800

Project will focus on 14 Nature Reserves within the protected site network including rich ancient woodland, flower strewn meadows and fragile wetlands, with 9 SSSI’s and 5 Local Wildlife Sites (LWS) that encompass over 253ha. The project will enhance vulnerable habitats across the protected site network.

Connecting the future: building resilient and sustainable nature Reserves, The Wildlife Trust of South West Wales – £497,700

Project will invest in essential infrastructure work and equipment to enable us to maintain and enhance these sites so that they continue to operate as key components in the Welsh nature network.

Common Connections, Pembrokeshire Nature Partnership – £200,000

The project focuses on restoring connectivity to improve the ecological resilience of the Northwest Pembrokeshire commons SAC, connecting it to the costal SAC by creating, managing and protecting habitat corridors. Actions target our focal species, the marsh fritillary butterfly, and other notable species.

Coast to Commons, National Trust – £496,580

The project will focus on six areas across Wales where funding would lead to the greatest impact on site condition and wider landscape resilience.

Address underlying causes of inappropriate management, identify innovative solutions such as No-fence collars for cattle, contribute to the circular economy and promote stakeholder engagement.

Reconnecting the Salmon rivers of Wales, Swansea University – £497,457

The project will help reconnect five iconic Atlantic salmon rivers in Wales (W.Cleddau, E.Cleddau, Usk, Tywi, Teifi) and revert the impacts caused by habitat fragmentation which is a leading loss of river biodiversity and responsible for the decline of salmon and other migratory fish in Wales.

Project SIARC (Sharks inspiring Action and Research with Communities), Zoological Society of London – £390,000

The project will catalyse links between fishers, researchers, communities and government to collaborate and safeguard elasmobranchs such as shark, skate and ray, and support a green recovery in Wales. The project will also include a diverse citizen science aspect, school education programme and will create three new positions in Wales.

Working together for nature in the Elan Valley, Welsh Water Elan Valley Trust – £87,500

This project will implement priority actions on Elan’s designated sites identified by NRW and informed by the Elan Links HLF scheme.

Llanymynech Golf Club Restoration for Butterflies, Llanymynech Golf Club – £91,400

Part of Llanymynech Hill SSSI, has rare bryophytes and is one of the best sites for butterflies in Wales, with the very rare pearl bordered fritillary recorded there recently. The project will clear scrub and reintroduce some grazing using both sheep and cattle and also to restore and then manage areas of bracken that are infested with Bramble.

Low Density tree planting in protected areas, Coed Cyrmu Cyf – £93,800

The project focuses on native woodland creation in Powys in up to three locations adjacent to SSSIs. The project will bring more woodland into management and create woodland habitats that are not suitable for farming or timber / forestry.

Nature Reserves Grassland Restoration, Radnorshire Wildlife Trust – £66,800

This project will focus on important areas of unimproved grassland and wetland on Radnorshire Wildlife Trust’s SSSI nature reserves: Burfa Bog, Llanbwchllyn Lake and Gilfach. The focus is on improving infrastructure, purchasing equipment and working with graziers to ensure better grazing management of these sites and make them more resilient.

Lower Wye Valley Nature Networks, Herefordshire Council/Wye Valley ANOB – £258,446

A collaborative project between the Wye Valley ANOB partnership, Gwent Wildlife trust and woodland trust focussing on designated sites in the Wye valley ANOB, their management and connectivity.

Afon Teifi SAC Catchment Phosphate Reduction and Mitigation Project (PRAM Project), Cyngor Sir Ceredigion County Council – £500,000

This project will directly improve the condition of this SAC through reducing Phosphate inputs, improving water quality and reversing decline in nature.

Dyfi Biodiversity and Habitat Improvements, Osprey Protection Measures and Community Access, Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust – £161,900

Include number of programmes including habitat management, increase surveillance around the Dyfi osprey nest, resetting unmanageable areas of the peat bog back to ecological succession zero and wheelchair accessible boardwalk.

Resilient River Teme, Severn Rivers Trust – £150,000

This project will engage landowners and community groups with the multiple benefits of natural flood management, habitat connectivity and resilient river ecosystems.

Creating new(t) Connections, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation – £99,694

Deliver direct benefits to improve condition and resilience at five nature reserves within or adjacent to the Deeside & Buckley SAC, improving connectivity and resilience of the site and of the metapopulations of the rare and threatened great crested newt for which it was designated.

Engage the local community in activities that contribute directly to the long term future of the wildlife on the SAC and increasing resilience to climate change and making nature accessible to people.