News
The AONB Trust awards £15,000 in small grants to 13 local projects
The Shropshire Hills Conservation Fund is a small grant-pot which has up to £15,000 to distribute each year to projects that deliver practical conservation work and/or educational and awareness-raising activities relating to the Shropshire Hills and its conservation, especially involving young people.
In March, 13 local projects were awarded grants ranging from £500 to £2,000.
The projects include restoring grassland habitat for the small pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly, installing nesting boxes for swifts on church towers and recording dormouse activity around Abdon to target future habitat management work. Both dormice and the small pearl-bordered fritillary are on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan Priority List, meaning they have been identified as being the most threatened and require conservation action. Swifts were recently added the red list of Birds of Conservation Concern.
Other projects include restoring a wildlife pond in the school grounds at St George's, Clun, buying better equipment to enable volunteers to monitor local river water quality, and enabling volunteers to create a wildflower meadow in their 2-acre community gardening space near Church Stretton.
A lot of volunteer time and effort goes into delivering these projects. Many of the projects are community-led and they play an important role in helping to look after the Shropshire Hills landscape, providing opportunities for more people to get involved, and connect with and care for the nature on their doorstep.
Funding for the Conservation Fund comes from Friends of Shropshire Hills (their subscription goes directly into the Fund), the Millichope Foundation, Moonshine and Fuggles, and individual contributions who support the Fund with their generous donations.
Published by Shropshire Hills National Landscape on (modified )