12/09/2025
DAERA Minister Announces £3.6m For Nature Recovery
DAERA Minister Andrew Muir has announced almost £3.6 million in funding to support nature recovery projects across Northern Ireland through his department's Environment Fund.
The funding will support 11 projects through the Nature Recovery Challenge Fund, a competitive grants programme.
Nine projects have been awarded £1.4 million in grants in this financial year, with a further two projects set to receive £323,000 in funding in 2025/26. The projects will focus on Nature Recovery Networks, Species Recovery Networks, and 30x30 Projects, which contribute to the global movement to protect 30 per cent of land and ocean areas by 2030.
Successful projects include the Journey to 30x30 led by Belfast Hills Partnership, the Woodland Trust NI's Faughan Valley Woodlands Nature Recovery project, and the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council's FODC Oak Woodland Restoration for Nature Recovery. Other recipients include RSPB, the National Trust, Belfast City Council, Queen's University Belfast, and Causeway Coast and Glens Council.
Minister Muir said that "urgent action is needed to halt and reverse biodiversity decline" and that the investment will provide a "much-needed boost to our nature from hills to woodlands and from rivers to loughs." He added that the funding will also assist in the delivery of key environmental priorities as set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan.
The funding will support 11 projects through the Nature Recovery Challenge Fund, a competitive grants programme.
Nine projects have been awarded £1.4 million in grants in this financial year, with a further two projects set to receive £323,000 in funding in 2025/26. The projects will focus on Nature Recovery Networks, Species Recovery Networks, and 30x30 Projects, which contribute to the global movement to protect 30 per cent of land and ocean areas by 2030.
Minister Muir said that "urgent action is needed to halt and reverse biodiversity decline" and that the investment will provide a "much-needed boost to our nature from hills to woodlands and from rivers to loughs." He added that the funding will also assist in the delivery of key environmental priorities as set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan.
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