The Highland Council has announced an extension of the deadline for applications to the first allocation round of its 2023/24 Nature Restoration Funding.

Eligible applicants can apply for between £2,000 - £25,000 towards nature restoration projects until 12 noon on Wednesday 4 October 2023.

Chair of the Council's Environment and Infrastructure Committee, Cllr Ken Gowans said: "Over the last two years, 50 projects have been delivered throughout Highland ranging from the creation of wildflower meadows, tree planting initiatives, wetland creation and removal of invasive non-native species."

The deadline has been extended to ensure that as many applicants come forward with their project ideas. The fund has also been made more flexible, with applicants only required to complete an application form and provide some supporting documentation.

Established by the Scottish Government, the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) is a capital fund designed to help support projects that will deliver nature restoration, safeguard wildlife, and tackle the causes of biodiversity loss due to climate change.

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Now in its third year, the eligibility of the fund is broadly the same as previous years with a focus on outcomes which address the main drivers of the decline in biodiversity on land and sea.

To deliver this aim, the fund has five strategic themes:

• Habitat and species restoration - management for enhancement and connectivity

• Freshwater restoration – including restoration of natural flows in rural catchments

• Coastal and marine – initiatives which promote restoration recovery, enhancement or resilience

• Control of invasive non-native species (INNS) - impacting on nature

• Urban - enhancing and connecting nature across, and between, towns and cities.

Capital items that could form that basis for spend may include, but are not limited to:

• Action for pollinators (equipment for maintaining and creating wildflower areas or verges including planting)

• Improving condition and use of Local Nature Reserves (purchase and planting)

• Developing a local 'Nature Network' through planting of wildlife corridors, removal of barriers to wildlife movement and pollinator planting

• Greening active travel routes (creating wildflower areas or verges including planting)

• Natural flood management actions such as connecting rivers with flood plains, pond or wetland creation, de-culverting, in-stream works for habitat and flow variability

• Removal of invasive non-native species (INNS) to improve the biodiversity value of the remaining habitat.  INNS removal projects must be sustainable beyond the funding period and that there is a plan in place to manage sites thereafter.

• Habitat and species enhancement works using native stock, enhancing natural coastal defences through marram, addressing coastal squeeze.

All projects should be completed by the end of June 2024.

The minimum grant support available is £2,000 and the maximum is £25,000.