Delvin Tidy Towns to use grant to draw up biodiversity plan
Efforts to protect and support local wildlife, plants and nature are being supported by a grant for Delvin Tidy Towns announced this week.
With the support from both Community Foundation Ireland and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), many local actions are planned.
Delvin Tidy Towns will hire a professional to draw up a five-year biodiversity plan for Delvin using the grant awarded. It will guide the committee in the right direction and help Delvin aquire additional skills and knowledge to earn additional points in the National Tidy Towns awards.
Welcoming the support, committee member Cllr David Jones said: “ This grant of €6000 will assist us greatly in engaging with a professional to draw up a biodiversity plan for Delvin. We are always looking at where we can gain additional points, and we thank the Westmeath County Council biodiversity officer Christina and the Community Foundation of Ireland for their support.”
Denise Charlton, chief executive of Community Foundation Ireland, stated: “We all know nature is in crisis. Once familiar bird songs, the fleeting sight of a passing animal and even our creepy crawlies and native plants are disappearing. Local actions are key to addressing that. Since partnering with the National Parks and Wildlife Service in 2019, we are now working with 300 communities on local biodiversity action plans.
“This unique partnership brings together the foundation’s private philanthropic funds and public money, and it partners communities with the insights and skills of expert ecologists. I look forward to hearing about the success of the work ahead.”
Niall Ó Donnchú, director general of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, added: “This partnership between NPWS and Community Foundation Ireland supports action for nature at the local level. We welcome the increasing focus on citizen science, community outreach and engagement with schools, all of which are key to addressing the biodiversity crisis.”
This year’s grants are supported by philanthropic funding from Community Foundation Ireland and its donors, including a major contribution from the Sunflower Charitable Foundation, along with funding from the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.