Here at ZeroBees, we love to hear about projects which help us better understand the climate landscape and today, we have a cracker! The government have announced that six projects will receive a cool £4.3m of funding to research how nature-rich woodlands, grasslands, wetlands and urban habitats take up carbon. The aim of this funding is to assess how carbon is captured and stored across different habitats. The £4.3m of funding have been awarded to:
Wild Exmoor Carbon Sequestration Project
The National Trust has been awarded almost £1 million to deliver targeted nature-based solutions and carbon capture across its 670-hectare Watersmeet estate
Wansbeck Restoration for Climate Change (WRCC)
Almost £600,000 has been awarded to the project managed by Groundwork NE & Cumbria which will assess how nature-based solutions can thrive in a farmed landscape.
Plymouth’s Natural Grid Nature Based Solutions for Climate Change at the Landscape Scale project
Approximately £1 million will support Plymouth City Council, working in collaboration with the National Trust, to restore natural habitats and create local solutions to climate change in the urban environment through wood pasture, species rich grassland and woodland creation, salt marsh restoration and floodplain mosaic habitat creation.
Derwent Forest Landscape Recovery Project, part of the Derwent Connections Programme
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has been awarded £645,000 for its Derwent Forest Landscape Recovery partnership-led pilot project. This project aims to create connected woody habitats between the Northern and National Forests to allow movement of species in response to climate change.
The Oxfordshire–Buckinghamshire Freshwater Network
This programme, run by the Freshwater Habitats Trust, has been awarded over £780,000 to focus on the role played by smaller, peat-dominated wetlands, floodplains, wet grasslands and waters in sequestering carbon in the landscape.
Severn Solutions for Nature’s Recovery (SSNR)
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust has been awarded over £417,000 to work with Hasfield Court Estate to restore a 500-hectare estate in the Severn Vale.
Check out these projects in more detail at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pioneering-nature-projects-launched-to-test-carbon-capture-methods-in-fight-against-climate-change
Our opinion on this is overwhelmingly positive. Not only is landscape restoration here in the UK AND carbon capture a great combination, but it also leads to more nature based SMEs in these areas who can take advantage of the increased landscape value and natural environments!
We would love to know what you think. Are there any projects you think deserve funding?
Let us know!