Tipperary communities encouraged to act now to protect biodiversity
Opportunity to work with an expert included in new supports
Communities in Tipperary that are committed to protecting biodiversity and wildlife are being offered an opportunity to work with an expert ecologist under additional grant supports.
The supports are being offered by The Community Foundation for Ireland, in partnership with the National Parks and Wildlife Service at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage as part of a joint Community and Nature Fund, which is now in its third year.
Local groups in Tipperary are being invited to apply under three strands, each with the aim of developing actions that will deliver real results with a community biodiversity plan. Communities will work with an ecologist to draw up a community biodiversity action plan within their local community or with two or three-five local landowners.
The aim is to contribute towards reversing a crisis that has seen nature and biodiversity under severe threat.
The three strands are:
· Strand 1: Grants of up to €5,000 for community groups to work with an ecologist to classify their local habitats, assess their condition and extent, map them, and define a suite of actions to enhance biodiversity;
· Strand 2: Grants of up to €7,500 for community groups who carry out the work outlined in Strand 1 in collaboration with one or two land managers/owners to classify habitats at landscape scale, with a focus on field boundaries (hedgerows, treelines and stone walls), assess their condition and extent, map them and define a suite of actions to enhance biodiversity;
· Strand 3: Grants of up to €10,000 for community groups who carry out the work outlined in Strand 1 in collaboration with three to five land managers/owners to classify habitats at landscape scale with a focus on field boundaries (hedgerows, treelines and stone walls), assess their condition and extent, map them and define a suite of actions to enhance biodiversity.
Full details of the application process are available at www.communityfoundation.ie and the closing date is November 12.