NEW BIODIVERSITY FUNDING AVAILABLE

Wexford stands to benefit as funding for locally-led biodiversity projects is doubled to €3m.

Malcolm Noonan TD, Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, last month announced a doubling of funding to the Local Biodiversity Action Fund to €3 million for 2023. Local Authorities can now apply to the National Parks and Wildlife Service to avail of this funding to deliver local biodiversity projects. Over €66,000 was allocated to local projects through the Wexford Local Authority in 2022.

First launched in 2018, the Local Biodiversity Action Fund offers funding to help Local Authorities achieve actions identified in the National Biodiversity Action Plan, recognising the important role they plan in addressing the biodiversity emergency. This funding stream enables the development of projects that address biodiver sity loss in Local Authority areas by helping to create new habi tats, restoring existing ones and by tackling invasive alien species. The scheme, operated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Housing, Local Govern ment and Heritage, has proven hugely popular, with 109 projects funded in 2022. A wide variety of projects were financed in cluding in the areas of Wetland Restoration, Bird Surveys, Dune Restora tion, Biodiversity Awareness and Invasive Alien Species.

Commenting on the announce ment, Minister Noonan said:

“I’m delighted to be able to double the funding for this vital biodiversity

2023 Local Biodiversity funding scheme, which has proven immensely popular with Local Authorities, who have carried out really impactful projects with the funding. We have seen in- creasing participation in biodiversity and invasive species projects year-on-year, and the benefits of this are shared by all of us, not least local communities.

Action Fund supports Local Authorities to progress local biodiversity projects.

Local Authorities can now apply for funding for 2023 projects.

Funded projects must align to the actions of the National Biodiversity Action Plan.

“Reversing biodiversity loss is among the greatest challenges of our times. Locallyled initiatives can be extremely impactful – supporting them is an important part of the response. Local Authorities play an important role in these efforts. Combined with our announcement last year of the appointment of Biodiversity Officers in the Local Authorities, today’s funding increase will allow the Local Authorities to play an ever more active role in our plans to address biodiversity loss. The State has increased its funding to the NPWS in light of the biodiversity crisis and I’m delighted that we’re able to in turn increase funding to important initiatives such as this.”

Examples of projects that received funding in 2022 include:

A survey to increase understanding of the health of Barn Owl populations in County Wexford and to ensure that nest sites are safeguarded, while building capacity at a local level for Barn Owl conservation to secure the future of the species in the county.

The continuation of a dune restoration project for Wexford with four coastal sites selected where the dune system is under pressure from erosion and trampling. The sites are located at Morriscastle beach, Ballinesker beach, Rosslare beach and Booley Bay beach.

A Phase 1 Wetland Survey of County Wexford with plans to commission a GIS compatible wetland database and a report with recommendations for future survey priorities. n

ChangeX is a non-profit, community engagement platform designed to get funding and resources directly into the hands of everyday people to lead impactful projects in their neighbourhoods. It has launched the Accenture Sustainable Community Challenge, supported by Accenture. The initiative, designed to enable community groups to kickstart sustainability projects in their own locality, is now open for applications. Successful applicants will receive the resources, seed funding and support needed to start a project in their local community, empowering them to build thriving and sustainable communities.

Groups can choose from a portfolio of proven ideas that have already had a positive impact in other communities in Ireland and around the world. Ideas include Community Fridge, which supports the sharing of surplus food and the reduction of food waste, and Open Orchard, which connects communities through the planting of fruit trees in public places.

This is the second Accenture Sustainable Community Challenge launched by ChangeX in Ireland. It builds on the success of the 2021 Challenge, which supported 22 local groups to start environmental sustainability projects, benefitting over 2,200 people in communities across Ireland.

Sustainable Skerries community group received funding in 2021 to start an Open Orchard project in North County Dublin. “Over 50 people, adults and children, took part and planted 20 trees in our first Open Orchard, right in the middle of Skerries,” said Sabine McKenna, Chair of Sustainable Skerries. “The day – and the