Funding Grant to Support the Conservation of Chalk Grasslands in the Chilterns
The Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) has won a major funding grant to support the conservation of chalk grasslands in the Chilterns. The Chilterns were singled out as one of nine areas of rare conservation value in the UK by WREN’s new Biodiversity Action Fund. The £198,166 grant will contribute towards a three-year project managed by BBOWT in 13 nature reserves across the Chilterns. The reserves span from College Lake, near Tring (Bucks) in the north, down to Hartslock, near Goring (Oxon) in the south. It is the only project selected for funding by WREN in the whole of the South East region.
Peter Cox, Managing Director of WREN, comments; “We’ve funded projects that will enhance, restore and revive some of the UK’s most precious habitats, providing a safe haven for British nature and wildlife. We’re looking forward to seeing the project in the Chilterns take shape and seeing the positive impact it will have, to support the conservation of extremely rare chalk grasslands.”
Philippa Lyons, BBOWT’s Chief Executive, highlighted the importance of the grant; “WREN’s grant will be a tremendous boost to our efforts to save a wide range of threatened wildlife, much of which only occurs on chalk grassland.”
Chalk grassland is said to be Europe’s equivalent of the rainforest with the variety of grassland found in the Chilterns being especially wildlife-rich. It supports as many as 40 plant species per square metre, as well as many rare insects and molluscs.
But the grasslands are under continuing threat; an estimated 80% have been destroyed in the past 60 years, largely due to changing agricultural practices. General neglect continues, along with specific challenges, such as the availability of grazing stock. In addition to protecting wildlife, BBOWT also aims to educate and inspire local landowners to take action to help preserve this important national wildlife treasure. The project will establish BBOWT’s 13 Chilterns nature reserves as demonstration sites that will highlight how chalk grassland can be managed and restored and show just what a stunning habitat it can be.
A number of the nature reserves that will benefit are home to rare wildlife species. Most are designated as being nationally important for their wildlife and the project will be run in conjunction with Natural England, the government’s conservation advisors.
Hartslock Nature Reserve, near Goring in Oxon, home to the Adonis blue butterfly, small blue butterfly, lady orchid and monkey orchid (which is only found on two other sites in the whole of the UK) will benefit from the project. Dancersend Nature Reserve, near Aylesbury in Bucks, will benefit from efforts to restore new areas of grassland for important species such as such the Duke of Burgundy butterfly, Chiltern gentian and glow worm.
WREN is a not for profit business that awards grants to community projects across the UK on behalf of Waste Recycling Group (WRG). The organisation has committed £10 million over the next five years to biodiversity projects, to help redress the balance of nature by expanding, recovering and conserving habitats. To be eligible for the funding, projects had to demonstrate how they would work towards meeting national, regional or local biodiversity targets set out in Biodiversity Action Plans.
Bids for funding from the Biodiversity Action Fund were invited by WREN in October 2008 and were restricted to projects located within 10 miles of a landfill site. Applications for year two of the scheme are now being invited. Deadline for applications is 29 January 2010. Visit www.wren.org.uk for more information.
Find out more about the work of BBOWT: www.bbowt.org.uk