Biodiversity Challenge Fund: Contacts and Resources

Tweed Forum

Tweed Invasives Project

To tackle the problem of INNS along the Scottish sections of the river Tweed and its Scottish tributaries:

1. Controlling INNS through spot spraying with herbicide through a combination of seasonal project officers, specialist contractors and trained volunteers.

2. Re-establishment of native flora and fauna in areas where invasive plants have been removed from the riverside and associated wetland and woodland habitat.

3. Rust fungus control of Himalayan balsam.

4. Biosecurity measures to ensure no new species enter the catchment and rapid response protocols.

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Edinburgh Shoreline – The Wild Line

To restore habitats along 27km of Edinburgh’s shoreline by:

1. removal of invasive plant species currently affecting seabird habitat and population resilience across the Forth estuary,

2. applying proof-of-concept research in biodiverse coastal infrastructure to achieve industry-scale implementation on sea defences at eight locations,

3. creating an extensive, habitat-rich, coastal park.

Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust

Little France Park

To restore and improve the biodiversity value of Little France Park in Edinburgh by enhancing the quality of existing habitats (hedges, scrub), reinstating degraded habitats (grassland) and creating a network of new, high-value habitats targeted at butterflies (northern brown argus, common blue, small copper), thus creating a key link in a green corridor from Edinburgh city centre to Midlothian.

The Froglife Trust

Come Forth for Wildlife

To improve the biodiversity of 12 sites in Falkirk for the benefit of amphibians and reptiles through the creation of ponds and scrapes, restoration of wetland areas and improvement of terrestrial habitats including creation of wildflower meadows.

To enhance habitat connectivity in 4 neighbourhoods in Falkirk through community-led creation and restoration of ponds, and creation of wildlife features such as hibernacula, in urban greenspaces.

Borders Forest Trust

Restoring Montane Scrub and Bearberry in the Wildheart of Southern Scotland

The restoration of 50ha of montane scrub at Corehead, Carrifran Wildwood and Talla and Gameshope in the central Southern Uplands of Scotland.  And, the pioneering restoration of the upland heath dwarf shrub Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi to the Carrifran Wildwood, which forms part of the Moffat Hill SSSI and SAC.

Trees for Life

Carn na Caorach Montane Woodland Enclosure

The purpose of this grant is to make provision for an enclosure to allow woodland generation and to plant 14ha of native woodlands.  The aim is to use volunteers to bring trees on in the nursery and plant them in the enclosure to complete the woodland cover (approximately a further 250 ha) over the following 10 years.

Dee District Salmon Fishery Board

Dee Riparian Habitat Project

To implement practical measures to create, restore and enhance riparian habitats throughout the catchment of the River Dee to include native tree planting, introduction of wooded structures and enhancement of wooded buffer strips.

Kyle of Sutherland Fisheries Trust

Partnership working to enhance three key freshwater pearl mussel populations in the north, south and west of Scotland

To improve c 14.8km of riparian and 2.9km of instream habitat to support freshwater pearl mussels and salmonids at three sites in Scotland.

Buglife Scotland

Central Scotland B-lines

The purpose of the ‘Central Scotland B-Lines’ project is to create a network for nature by increasing the area of wildflower-rich grasslands and restoring habitat connectivity within East Dunbartonshire, South Lanarkshire, Falkirk and Edinburgh.

Scottish Canals

Greening Pinkston Basin

Establishment of wetland refuge habitat within the Pinkston basin area using a Floating Wetland system and involving the planting of over 3,600 native aquatic plants to form an aquatic and terrestrial habitat suitable for fish, insects, amphibians, birds and mammals.

Glasgow City Council (on behalf of the Seven Lochs Partnership)

Seven Lochs and Cumbernauld SpRiNT (Species Rich Networks Team)

To deliver 21 habitat creation and enhancement projects in parks, amenity greenspaces and green corridors across the Seven Lochs and Cumbernauld Living Landscape project areas – focusing on increasing species richness (especially pollinator species, and at Seven Lochs also water vole), and bringing sites into positive conservation management.

RSPB Scotland

Curlews in Crisis Scotland

The purpose of the grant is to work in partnership within specific areas of Caithness and Ayrshire to increase suitable breeding habitat for curlew through targeted management and to conduct studies of success against control sites.  The project will advocate curlew friendly proposals that could be applied elsewhere.

St Andrews Botanic Garden

St Andrews Green Corridors

To develop, enhance and link two key habitat corridors across the town of St Andrews in Fife in order to reduce habitat loss, establish and implement a sustainable management plan for invasive species and reduce ecological fragmentation of the space resulting from years of development and lack of management for biodiversity.

National Trust For Scotland

Invasive non-native species (INNS) control in North West Scotland

Invasive non-native plant control at Balmacara, Corrieshalloch, Torridon and Inverewe.

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Fetlar Red-Necked Phalarope Habitat Management

To undertake management works to restore and significantly improve two key breeding sites for the rare red necked phalarope at the Mires of Funzie and nearby second site and install three data loggers.

Cairngorms National Park Authority

Cairngorms Nature Action Plan

Action for Aspen – fencing and stock removal to allow natural regeneration of aspen suckers, planting up 3ha. of aspen to improve connectivity between existing sites.  Male or female trees will be added to single sex stands to increase reproduction and genetic diversity.  

Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms - making the area more favourable for pine hoverfly and other pollinator species by captive rearing of pine hoverfly for release, creation of stumps for larval development and providing young rowan with protective tubing.

Angus Council

River South Esk Catchment – 2020 Source to Sea Challenge

To undertake various works and associated monitoring on and around the River South Esk in Angus – montane enclosure for woolly willow, riparian planting of native broad leaved trees, riverbank restoration and introduction of large woody debris and de-culverting and wetland creation on the Den Burn in Brechin.

RSPB Scotland

East Scotland Corn Bunting Project

The purpose of this grant is to provide advice to land managers to benefit at-risk farmland birds particularly corn bunting, within eastern Scotland. The grant supports staff costs to provide the advice and also ensure delivery of the specific land management targets defined in the application.

ScotFWAG

The Birds and Bees Project

The purpose of the grant is to allow ScotFWAG to facilitate the restoration and expansion of extensively managed species-diverse grassland to help reconnect farmland habitats. This will be achieved through their use of their suite of Farmland advisors throughout Scotland working in partnership with 55-60 farmers to create up to 0.5ha of habitat on each farm.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS)

Improving conditions around protected areas to increase connectivity around and within freshwater pearl mussel SACs

To remove impediments to fish movement on three key tributaries of the River Borgie SAC, and increase broadleaf riparian woodland on the River Oykel SAC and tributaries of the River Evelix and River Borgie SAC.

Dee Catchment Partnership

Easter Beltie Restoration Project

To establish a new area of river corridor and floodplain through the creation of a new meandering channel, connected to its floodplain and re-connected to the downstream river corridor, enriched by riparian native tree planting, woodland and open wet ground.

Tweed Forum

Upper Yarrow Landscape Initiative

To restore a previously straightened part of the Little Yarrow tributary of the River Tweed, creating a natural, meandering river channel, within a 12 ha floodplain, restored to a mosaic of natural wetlands and native woodland. 

RSPB Scotland

Enhance, Create and Pollinate - creating pollinator friendly habitats across Scotland

The purpose of this grant is to create approximately 91ha of pollinator friendly habitat in various locations across Scotland. 

Galloway Fisheries Trust

Water of Luce and Tarf Water headwaters climate resilience fish project

To undertake a range of in stream works, riparian planting and planting of willow stakes at the headwaters of the River Luce and upper Tarf Water tributary to improve instream habitats, reduce erosion and sediment washout and increase resilience to the impacts of climate change. 

Woodland Trust Scotland

Loch Arkaig – Glen Mallie Forest Edge Restoration

Fell-to-recycle all non-native trees across 88ha at Glen Mallie, Loch Arkaig to enable the recovery of the native woodland habitat, through creating space for regeneration and reducing the shade and persistent litter created by non-native conifers.

Scottish Wildlife Trust

Protecting and enhancing species rich grassland

The purpose of the project is to deliver tangible biodiversity benefits to species-rich grassland and other priority habitats through appropriate management techniques. This will be achieved through purchase of materials and improvements to infrastructure to allow more effective site management. 

Spey Fishery Board for the Spey Catchment Initiative

Re-wooding the River Calder

Establish up to 20ha of riparian woodland along 3.5 km of the River Calder, an upland tributary of the Spey (SAC), by installing deer fencing to remove grazing pressure, planting with native tree species and encouraging natural regeneration.

Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA)

Cairngorms Wetlands

To deliver key wetland habitat and species conservation actions from the Cairngorms Nature Action Programme, particularly: improving breeding and foraging habitats of red and amber listed waders, mammals and invertebrates and restoring Freshwater Pearl Mussel populations within the River Spey catchment trialling host fish encystment. 

Trees for Life

West Affric Montane Woodland Habitat Expansion

Extend three existing native woodland exclosures by a total of 61 hectares on the NTS West Affric estate to secure the seed sources they have generated, plant 15ha with appropriate, native, montane tree species at a density of 500 per ha to increase the seed source for montane species and improve montane woodland habitat connectivity. 

Dee District Salmon Fishery Board

Garbh Allt & Upper Muick River Restoration Project

To restore and enhance instream and riparian habitats along two sub-catchments of the River Dee through removal of artificial embankments, reconnection of backwater channels and reintroduction of woody structures to create habitat for a range of aquatic species and reduce flooding impact.

Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust

The Endrick Legacy Project

Undertake control measures for Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed and American skunk cabbage, American mink and American signal crayfish in the Endrick catchment. 

Undertake a number of small scale riparian tree planting schemes in key spawning / juvenile habitat areas. 

Improve access for migratory fish to spawning habitat through improving/replacing water gates, unblocking streams and removing other man-made restrictions.

RSPB Scotland

Clyde Valley Waders - Enhancing Landscapes in South West Scotland

The RSPB led project in partnership with 17 Landowners and SAC Consulting Solutions will give direct action to improve habitat and species management and improve the survival rates of upland waders as well as study these successes to allow promotion of better practice.  The project will result in increased connectivity between breeding sites in the landscape scale in the area around Crawfordjohn.

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority

Inversnaid Invasive Non-native Plant Species Control Project

The initial treatment principally of invasive Rhododendron as well as small populations of Japanese knotweed and American skunk cabbage around Inversnaid on east Loch Lomond. As part of this the Park will train volunteers in the safe use of herbicides and will purchase appropriate equipment, PPE and herbicide.

RSPB Scotland (on behalf of Inner Forth Futures Partnership)

Inner Forth Futures Wetland Habitat Network

Wetlands at five sites around the Forth will be improved with new habitats created, degraded habitats improved, hydrology and saline lagoons managed, and invasive species removed.

North Isles Landscape Partnership

North Isles Habitat Management and Restoration

The project has enhanced and restored some of the key natural habitats of the North Isles. 

10 hectares of grassland on Egilsay has been restored to benefit breeding waders (including curlew, snipe, lapwing and redshank) and improve the botanical diversity of the grasslands to benefit pollinators (including the great yellow bumblebee). The work involved cutting and removing rank vegetation that had little biodiversity value, and implementing appropriate grazing regimes to maintain the habitats in the future. 

22.3 hectares of grassland and wetland improvements have been undertaken on Papa Westray to benefit breeding waders (curlew, snipe, lapwing, redshank) and corncrake, and to improve the botanical diversity. The work involved cutting and removing rank vegetation that has little biodiversity value, digging scrapes and implementing appropriate grazing regimes to maintain the habitats in the future. 

2.3 hectares of habitat improvements have been undertaken on Sanday to benefit breeding waders and wildflowers. The work involved digging scrapes, fencing and implementing an appropriate grazing regime.

Forth Rivers Trust

Revive the Allan

To undertake an initial phase of the Revive the Allan project that will enhance the riparian corridor between Milton of Panholes and Deaf Knowe, reconnecting the floodplain to the river using a pre-railway channel, creating new wetlands and undertaking green banking in support of natural flood management solutions.

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There are opportunities to write and submit a guest blog about your project. This could be arranged to launch the project, hitting milestones or when your project is complete.

Where possible please use our handle in any posts about your project and acknowledge our support. Use @nature_scot and #BiodiversityChallengeFund. We shall retweet where possible.

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The tone of external communications will be positive, open, honest and factual, even if faced with criticism.

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You should inform NatureScot of any media queries as soon as possible. When appropriate, broader Biodiversity Challenge Fund queries should also be referred to NatureScot.  If time allows, send statements to NatureScot for review before sending them to the media. Contact Cat Synnot, Publicity Manager. 

News releases and publicity

NatureScot should always be credited, if possible, in any news releases, articles and other publicity items.

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All successful BCF3 applicants who have accepted their Offer of funding should use the following template which you can adapt and share with local media. Successful applicants can issue their local media releases from Thursday 27 May.

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Please inform Cat Synnot, NatureScot Publicity Manager of any requests for radio or TV interviews.

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Please provide contact details for staff who will handle media relations for your projects to Cat Synnot.

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Internal video/images captured during the lifetime of the project remain the copyright of the funding recipient.  These should be made freely available to NatureScot on request.  If NatureScot uses the material, we will credit the recipient.

Commissioned and website articles should acknowledge NatureScot with the agreed information about the project and should refer interested parties to: Biodiversity Challenge Fund.  Applicants should seek to publicise the project in their internal communications – e.g. Intranet, in-house publications - whenever possible. Proofs should be sent to [email protected] for review before publication, where possible.