Over £15million awarded to protect habitats in Wales

16/03/2026

Freshwater Millennium wetlands, looking east with Heron’s Wing hide in foreground. Credit: WWT.

Twenty-eight projects have received grants up to £1m to restore and improve biodiversity across land and sea.

From wetlands to woodlands, grasslands to coasts, the projects will help build a stronger, more resilient network of protected sites across the nation.

Communities will be encouraged to get involved through project activities and contribute to landscape-scale nature recovery.

Long-term support for nature

Now in its fifth round, the funding comes from the Nature Networks Fund which we are delivering on behalf of the Welsh Government and in partnership with Natural Resources Wales.

Since 2021 the programme has supported 147 projects across Wales with over £54m.

Explore some of the funded projects

Whispers of the woodlands: saving the brown long-eared bat

The Bat Conservation Trust is receiving £249,630 for a Wales-wide project focused on the conservation of the brown long-eared bat, affectionately known as the whispering bat.

The project will support the management of protected woodland habitats, undertake tree roost surveys, enhance data collection and connect local people to wildlife through a variety of events and activities.

A bat with long ears flying through darkness — Long-eared bat in a hay meadow. Credit: Daniel Hargreaves.

Botanical Futureproofing for Protected Sites in Wales

Vulnerable plant species will be safeguarded by The National Botanic Garden of Wales thanks to a £823,320 grant. The project will provide critical equipment and expand threatened flora collections housed in the National Seed Bank of Wales, which currently conserves just 11% of Welsh flora. The funding will also support infrastructure improvements to the 150-hectare Waun Las National Nature Reserve with nature-friendly grazing methods in mind.

Two people collecting plant specimens on a grassed banking which leads onto a beach and the sea — Collecting purple gromwell at Dunraven Bay. Credit: Ellyn Baker.

Tir Morfa Wetland Connections

WWT, the wetlands charity, is receiving £548,406 to restore vital wetland habitats. The project will carry out works to WWT Llanelli and the surrounding Tir Morfa coastline to improve conditions for wildlife, including internationally important wintering birds, connect people to nature and build a climate-resilient future for the wider Burry Inlet ecosystem.

A duck, named the common pochard, sat on a body of water — A common pochard: a bird that is often found in the UK during the winter months. Credit: WWT.

The Nature Networks Fund is a crucial tool in our response to the nature emergency, helping us build a more resilient Wales for future generations.
Huw Irranca-Davies, Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change

Huw Irranca-Davies, Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change said: "This significant investment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to our international targets such as 30by30 which are increasing the scale and pace of delivery helping to protect Wales’s natural heritage. By supporting these projects, we're not only preserving precious ecosystems but also empowering communities to become stewards of their local environments. The Nature Networks Fund is a crucial tool in our response to the nature emergency, helping us build a more resilient Wales for future generations."