Amid the uncertainty created by shifts in Scottish politics, there is a need to ensure government and parliament continue to address the public’s desire to see nature restored. We know from polls, surveys, and focus groups that #NatureMatters - it is at the fore of people’s priorities.
With one in nine species in Scotland at risk of national extinction, the need for action has never been greater. Thankfully, a vehicle exists which goes some way to making this happen, with tangible examples in almost every constituency, from Shetland to the Mull of Galloway.
The Scottish Government’s £65million Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) has turbocharged our efforts since being launched at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021 – a time when the eyes of the world were on Scotland. We know the Scottish Government is proud of the fund, with Net Zero Secretary Màiri McAllan recently citing the fund as an example of action to deliver nature restoration.
It is a modest start, given we know the huge scale of need, but it is a fund that ticks all manner of boxes.
A Curlew at Airds Moss, one of the sites that has benefited from the Nature Restoration Fund. Credit: Christine Hall.
Nature restoration helps address Scotland’s shockingly low ranking on the international biodiversity intactness index - we are 28th from the bottom of countries in terms of the health of our wildlife. The fund also helps us tackle climate change and creates jobs in local communities. It also futureproofs our food and farming systems, and it benefits the health and wellbeing of our people - essential for any flourishing economy.
The logic behind this approach has never been clearer. New research by the Green Finance Institute shows that the continued loss of nature this decade could trigger a bigger economic slump than those caused by the 2008 global financial crisis and the Covid pandemic.
So, if we want a strong economy, we need nature back to full strength.
But what exactly has the NRF helped us achieve?
Well, via the fund’s competitive stream, administered by government agency NatureScot, RSPB Scotland has secured funding for 21 projects, including:
Here are a couple of major projects where we’ve made videos explaining the work:
Garnock Freshwater Habitats Project: This project focused on addressing impacts of land use change, climate change and pollution on freshwater habitats across two sites including RSPB Scotland Lochwinnoch. Existing wetland habitats were enhanced by a network of scrapes and islands to benefit many wading and wildfowl species.
As Site Manager Tabby Lamont says: "It really feels like we're achieving something, and seeing the difference it makes to wildlife and our visitors getting to see that - it's really special."
Baron’s Haugh Wetland Project: At our Baron's Haugh nature reserve work was completed to allow the River Clyde to regain its natural floodplain. This means the nature reserve is now more able to adapt to the increased frequency and severity of flooding resulting from climate change.
As Warden David Anderson says: "It's been a long road to get to this point, but it's just so exciting to be here now with diggers actually on the ground doing the work."
The NRF has also enabled us to deliver projects that have improved the resilience of the Inner Forth, re-naturalised and expanded Abernethy Forest, and it’s helping us save Morvern’s Rainforest.
Through the stream of funding available via local authorities and Scotland’s two national parks, we’ve worked with these partners to deliver Corncrake conservation in the Outer Hebrides, installation of Black-throated Diver rafts on two Inverness-shire lochs, and habitat creation in Central Scotland through the Climate FORTH and Giving Nature a Home projects.
Finally, through the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF), we were awarded NRF money to enable the removal of invasive non-native species on the islands of Fidra and Inchmickery in the Forth to help seabirds such as Puffin. NRF funds were also awarded for the installation of an anti-predator fence at our Crook of Baldoon reserve to protect the species that inhabit the saltmarsh there, and habitat works for Red-necked Phalaropes across four sites in Shetland.
Public funding for nature restoration is critical; it complements the funds we raise from members and other donors and can lever in additional support from grant funders and corporates, including from outside Scotland, to help tackle the nature and climate crisis. This work helps create the kind of green jobs that are becoming increasingly important in our economy, and often in ‘hard to reach’ areas across urban and rural Scotland.
The Nature Restoration Fund is delivering real hope in the face of an ongoing crisis. It is exactly the kind of action for nature our supporters want to see. Let us hope it continues as we still have much to do. For more information on the Nature Restoration Fund, see the NatureScot web page.
Header image credit: Stephen Magee