Grants News: Our Latest Projects
We’re excited to share our latest BUMPER round of grants which takes the total amount we have awarded (since July 2020) to over £840,000, enabling 66 brilliant grassroots projects that protect and restore nature in Devon.
A big thank you to everyone who has generously donated to make this possible!
Read on to learn more about the uplifting nature restoration projects we’ve supported this quarter…
In the meantime, if you’re looking to make a donation to a local charity that makes good things happen for nature in Devon, please get in touch!
You can donate directly, choose us as your One Percent for the Planet partner, or donate via JustGiving. Your support would mean the world to us! 🙏
Q1 2024 GRANTS
Native Kelp Restoration – £15,000
Trialling ‘Green Gravel ‘ a low-cost, scalable, practical method of kelp transplant to future-proof kelp beds against climate change. Kelps offer multiple benefits, including nutrient recycling, carbon sequestration and nursery and feeding grounds for marine life.
Installing a new remote access camera in Dartmouth estuary to amplify the impact of this Brixham-based project. Recording seal numbers & identifying individuals to increase data, knowledge and understanding of local seals, while spotting any entanglements or injuries early to improve survival rates.
Supporting this community tree nursery, for a second year to enable them to sow, grow, and plant more local provenance tree species. Aiming to increase the quantity, quality, and diversity of native trees planted in Dartmoor and South Devon.
Pesticide Free Bradley – £7,500
Aiming to encourage and support as many as possible of the 5,500 households in Bradley, Newton Abbot, to go pesticide-free! Producing a ‘Gardens for Life’ guide, organising kurbside collection for pesticide amnesty weeks, and engaging with local farmers to provide bespoke pesticide collection and disposal.
The Big Devon Meadows Count – £10,800
Auditing, surveying, evaluating, and protecting as many species-rich grassland sites as possible across Devon. Increasing knowledge of this under-represented habitat to better understand the extent and quality of fragmented meadow sites.
Youth Sailing Dart Estuary Custodians – £6,000
Connecting local young people to the marine environment through sailing and being on the water. Seeking to instil a deep appreciation for the rivers & ocean and develop a sense of environmental stewardship.
Delivering targeted habitat restoration and creation at five key coastal biodiversity hotspots. Expanding & enhancing critical habitats to protect populations of 25 threatened species and enable their recovery.
Supporting the Wild About Devon scheme for the third consecutive year! Providing small grants of up to £500 to empower communities to kickstart new wildlife projects in their local areas.
Converting a wooden motor sailing vessel into an electric launch to be used on the Salcombe & Kingsbridge estuary. Dolphin will be owned and managed by the community to be enjoyed by everyone, giving more people access to this truly beautiful nature reserve.
Supporting their ambition to conduct year-round bacterial & chemical testing at key sites along the River Dart. Data will be used to influence South West Water to invest in sewage infrastructure to enhance water quality and halt the decline of the river’s ecosystem.
Flete Field Lab Biochar Kiln – £6,341
Transferring ownership of a biochar kiln to FFL to maximise the effectiveness of their mycelium and biochar project. The value of the kiln at time of transfer was estimated to be £6,341.
Image credits: Green Futures, Moor Trees, The Seal Project, Life on the Edge, and Plymouth Marine Biological Association.