£353,000 for Perth and Kinross Nature Restoration Projects

Perth & Kinross Council has been allocated £353,000 from the Scottish Governments nature restoration fund for 2023-2024 to address the drivers of biodiversity loss. This is the third year of a five year funding commitment. Projects will be undertaken by the Council and community groups to improve areas for wildlife and people.

A total of 16 projects (4 council and 12 community projects) across Perth and Kinross have been approved for nature restoration funding. These projects will help to address the nature and climate crisis by enhancing biodiversity across Perth and Kinross, providing essential habitat restoration and connectivity for wildlife. Read more about the projects below.

Projects by Perth and Kinross Council:

Greenspace and Operations - two Amazon Profi Hopper machinery (£170,000)

The purchase of two Amazon Profi Hopper machinery and its use in meadow and relaxed mowing operations is an integral part of an overall plan to restore and enhance grassland areas for the benefit of both nature and local communities. This new machinery will play a significant role in the development of nature networks by restoring and maintaining diverse, well-connected meadow habitats that benefit a wide range of species.

Climate Change – River Almond Invasive Species Control (£4,793)

Following a successful first year of catchment scale invasive non-native species control, Perth and Kinross Council will continue to work with the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative, local volunteers, and contractors to remove giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed, and American skunk cabbage from the river Almond.

Tayside Biodiversity Partnership - Ponds for Puddocks (£5115)

Phase 3 of the SuDS Ponds Enhancement works will take place across several locations including Blairgowrie, Perth, Murthly, and Abernethy. Each of the sites is different but will involve clearing excessive plant life; removing non-native invasive species; ensuring the ponds are safe for hedgehogs; planting native wildflowers/ pond-edge species; encouraging gullypot surveys and removing any trapped wildlife. This will help ensure the ponds are in good condition, fit for purpose, and have enhanced amphibian and invertebrate populations.

Milnathort Primary School – Rewild Our School (£12,595)

Rewilding the grounds of Milnathort Primary School through creating pollinator friendly hedgerow, wildflower meadow, a pond, bee bank, and a native woodland corner.

Projects by the community:

Kettins Parish Community Council - Kettins Biodiversity Conservation Project (£2,465)

Converting sections of greenspace into biodiverse meadow and wetland habitats, as well as planting pollinator friendly native fruit and nut bearing trees.

Kinross-shire Civic Trust - Kinross Rain Gardens Trail (£7,200)

A continuation of the Kinross rain gardens trail project. This encompasses four projects including pollinator friendly planting around the edges of the Kinross park and ride; landscape work to enhance wetlands at the South Queich Flood Area; new hedgerow at the Kinross Rugby Club; and surveying at South Queich for design work to create 3 amphibian pools within the South Queich catchment.

National Trust for Scotland – Dunkeld Riverbank Restoration (£1,770)

Works include completing the eradication of Japanese knotweed, an invasive non-native species, across a one-mile stretch of riverbank; stabilising the banks to reduce erosion and flood damage; and planting a mix of broadleaved native trees to restore the riparian corridor.

Bamff Wildland - Bamff Wildland/Braes of Alyth Wild Cores & Corridors (£29,145)

Riparian tree planting of willow, aspen, alder, birch, hazel, and the removal of rhododendron ponticum, an invasive non-native species.

Glassie Bike Park - Glassie Bike Park rewilding Phase 2 (£11,300)

Diversifying the site with native tree planting and the creation of four ponds.

Marybank Farm - Marybank Farm Habitat Restoration (£19,521)

Works include pond restoration, pond creation, hedgerow creation to create wildlife corridors, wildflower meadow creation, formation of a beebank, gorse removal and tree planting.

Rewilding Denmarkfield - Boosting Biodiversity at Denmarkfield (£15,964)

Works include planting 50 local provenance oak trees with translocated soil from a local ancient oak woodland; creating 470m of pollinator hedgerow connecting to existing wildlife corridors; creating a 2-acre pollinator bank; creating a 2000m2 wetland - made up of a series of scrapes; and creating a 100m2 wildlife pond.

PKAVS - Birds, Bees, Bogs and Frogs- creating a safe corridor for nature (£9,400)

The creation of a large wildlife pond, bog garden and pollinator highways through sowing native wildflower seeds. This will connect the main garden to the lower area of garden and surrounding areas to encourage more amphibians, reptiles and insects to give them a stepping stone from the main garden to the lower section and the surrounding areas.

The Lunan Burn Wildlife Cluster - The Lunan Burn and Clunie Loch Catchment Restoration Project (£34,617)

Improving the water quality and freshwater habitats through the exclusion of livestock access from the Lunan Burn, and provision of an alternative watering system to reduce diffuse pollution; planting of hedging and native trees as linear habitat corridors between existing core areas of native woodland; riparian native tree planting and restoration along the Lunan Burn and banks of Loch Clunie, to protect and replenish the existing native woodland resource.

Comrie Croft - Comrie Croft Wild Connections (£19,922)

Riparian planting, wildflower meadow creation, and removal of non-native trees.

Carse of Gowrie Group (SCIO) & Friends of Cistern Green - Errol Village Nature Restoration Project (£2,462)

Planting and sowing native wildflowers, enhancing the biodiversity of two areas of land on either side of Errol Village.

Rannoch and District Angling Club - Alt Eigheach Habitat improvements Project (£5,000)

Restoring riparian woodland on the Alt Eigheach river to increase woodland habitat; reduce erosion of the riverbanks & sediment wash out; limit the impact of water temperature increases; increase invertebrate numbers; and improve populations of salmon and trout.

These projects will contribute towards many actions in the Tayside Local Biodiversity Action Plan to create and enhance habitats across Perth and Kinross. In turn they will help fulfil our commitment to tackling biodiversity loss and climate change.