Free funding for environmental projects!

[Stephen1]

I've recently become the environmental project coordinator for a group looking to offer something to land owners working to improve the natural ecology of their land.

The sorts of projects we would be happy to fund include;

Tree planting on bare land,

Tree planting to increase the variety of native tree species within an existing woodland,

Work to increase the biodiversity of the ground flora either in meadowland, or woodland tracks and glades, or even the spring flora (bluebells, wood anemone etc.)

But please feel free to suggest any other ideas you have to improve the natural environment of your land to us - and we'll see what we think!

We can pay for the materials i.e. the trees or wildflower seed and help with the work.

The main stipulation is that we feel the project is worthwhile, that in our experience we believe it has a good chance of working and that some of our members can come and help with the actual physical work of preparing the site and doing the planting.

We're not a huge organisation and the funding for anyone project would be unlikely to exceed a few hundred pounds - unless we were blown away by it!

[Stephen1]

Well that went down like the proverbial lead balloon!

Would anyone be kind enough to let us know what it is that's putting folk off? I only ask so we can perhaps either allay those fears here, or at least not make the same mistakes when we make the same offer elsewhere.

We're not attaching any strings!

Many thanks

Stephen

[jillybean]

Hi Stephen I suppose I didnt respond because you didnt say who your group was, a charity? university? or, where you are based,( no point bussing people to wales if you all come from Sussex.) and, I have already got an ewigs grant so would that negate the need for more funding. I do have a dewpond which I would like to enlarge and no funds or manpower to do this. Is that the sort of thing youre interested in?

[davetb]

Hi,

I agree with Jillybean.

Location is the single most important factor.

Name of the organisation ( which can be googled and verified ) is the next consideration for me.

I am always sceptical of something which is reasonably vague and anonymous and sounds too good to be true - there's usually a catch.

Hope this critique helps.

Best Wishes, Dave

[wood troll]

Stephen1

Did you say 'help & money' without strings?????

Does not compute..... we've yet to see such a beasty over here in France.

However if it does extend to France we might send you you an idea of what we are doing and would like to do for your consideration.

wood troll

[RichardKing]

Stephen

I dont know if you would consider it an appropriate project, but I have an area of (overstood) Sweet Chestnut coppice that I am currently cutting where most of it is dead, probably from Phytophthora.

When I discussed it with the local FC man he suggested planting Ash.

There is one large Ash nearby and a previously a couple of smaller ones (now coppiced) in part of the area.

But due to the current very high levels of deer the only things that self seeds is Birch & Sycamore as the deer find them distasteful.

Would your project consider contributing towards planting Ash ?

[Stephen1]

Thanks for your replies!

Yes of course you’re right Jillybean I should have said exactly who we were right off. We’re a loose network of people who share a philosophy of living that has recently started to be described as “Deep Ecology”. Beyond that we have very diverse beliefs- some are atheist, some Christian, some believe in a literal “Spirit of Place” and there are also those who believe in the old gods of Britain. We have come together under the banner of The Druid Network – reflecting the roots of our philosophy of life in the history, culture and nature of the land beneath our feet.

(Many of our members are every bit as uncomfortable as you might be with the word Druid and it is the subject of frequent debates– but we’ve stuck with it because it’s an archetype that resonates positively for many, even if for others it conjures up images of nutters in bedsheets at Stonehenge.)

Homepage;

www.druidnetwork.org

So in answer to your suggestion Jillybean a dewpond is certainly something we’d be interested in getting involved with.

Davetb –we’re not based in any one area, we have members all over Britain and indeed all over the world.

Woodtroll – Yes France is just as valid a location, and we have a fair few French members (I think mostly in Brittany, but I’d have to check)

Perhaps also see our French pages;

http://druidnetwork.org/fr

RichardKing – certainly Ash is a tree we’d be happy to help with planting. Perhaps you might want to consider including a few other species in the planting though? – Phytophthora ramoram’s host range is now know to include Ash;

http://rapra.csl.gov.uk/background/hosts.cfm

We’d be more than happy to make suggestions based on what we know – but obviously it’s your land and your call.

The only real condition is that you offer us the opportunity to take part in the actual planting, or whatever the project entails physically, but that’s the end of our involvement if that’s what the landowner wishes. Whilst it’s nice if members who actually took part in the work on your land (i.e. not just members in general) are allowed back to see how things have developed over time – this is not a requirement for us to help with the funding of any project, and is totally at the land owners discretion.

[RichardKing]

Personally I am an atheist, but also happy to be a pagan in terms of of "paganus" meaning peasant.

I thought it appropriate to name the large Ash "Yggrasil", particularly as it stands above a spring.

[jillybean]

Druids! oh why didnt you say? I love em!

[jillybean]

Seriously though Stephen, if your group want to help me enlarge this dewpond Id be up for it, but I would like to meet the canterbury chapter first just to make sure we would get on. I would be happy to discuss this privatley, you can contact me through my website- just click on my name.