North Highland residents invited to attend online info session on ambitious new ecological restoration initiative
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Residents in north-west Sutherland are being given the opportunity to learn about an exciting new initiative planned for the area.
An online information session is being held today to raise awareness of North West Regenerate, an ambitious project to facilitate ecological restoration projects.
North West Regenerate brings together some 18 groups in an area stretching from Coigach in the south to Durness in the north and Bettyhill in the East.The organisation comprises community groups, non-governmental organisations, and local development trusts as well as private landowners and others.
Coigach-based Lizzie Williams has been appointed to coordinate the project which is in the development phase.
She revealed an initial approach to the Endangered Landscapes Programme (ELP), which supports restoration projects across Europe's land and sea, had been successful with the group given the green light to continue down the funding route. Grants of up to £3.5 million are on offer.
ELP projects work to reverse biodiversity loss, revive rural economies and provide inspiration for a shift in the policy and practice of nature conservation.
Ms Williams said: "We submitted an expression of interest last autumn which was successful and following that we have been invited to submit a stage two application.
"Having made it to this second stage of the application process, we do have a good change of success. Our large area and the broad range of people involved gives us a very strong case."
She added that the exact scope of the project had still to be refined but it was hoped that the regeneration of native woodlands and peatland - a habitat important for carbon sequestration - would be at the heart of the work.
"The funding would help us implement a diverse range of important projects, meeting the needs of our communities while also helping to address the climate and biodiversity crisis," she said.
Pivotal to the group's success will be the community benefit likely to arise from the proposed ecological restoration projects.
Ms Williams said: "The project will allow us to identify and facilitate training opportunities for 'green jobs' and we will be able to support crofters and other small-scale food producers to access opportunities for increased local and sustainable food production.
"Our partners are striving to ensure that the project is strongly embedded in our communities, as we know that is the only way to create genuine, lasting change."
The group expects to hear by April whether or not its application has been successful.
Tomorrow's information session takes place via Zoom from 7.30pm. Anyone interested in attending is asked to email Ms Williams at lizzie.w.williams@gmail.com to request details on how to join.
She said the information session was an opportunity for local people to learn more about the project and give their feedback and suggestions.
