BATS, oysters and bumblebees are among the rare species in Wales that are set to benefit from £3.78 million in Welsh Government conservation funding.

The Nature Networks Fund has awarded grants to 17 projects that will improve the condition and resilience of Wales’ network of protected land and marine sites.

The grants will also allow the projects to support communities around the protected sites to get involved in nature conservation. The Nature Networks Fund is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales on behalf of the Welsh Government and in partnership with Natural Resources Wales.

Climate Change Minister Julie James said: “I am pleased to see the wide range of terrestrial, freshwater and marine projects that will make an important contribution to the delivery of our Nature Networks Programme promoting action to help us achieve our 30 by 30 target and becoming nature positive.”

Among the projects being funded are:

• The Bumblee Conservation Trust - ‘Connecting the Carmarthenshire Coast’

In Carmarthenshire, the Bumblee Conservation Trust’s ‘Connecting the Carmarthenshire Coast’ project is receiving £222,272 from the Nature Networks Fund. Carmarthenshire is a priority landscape for rare bumblebees and this project has been developed to help invertebrate species to travel between the Carmarthenshire coast’s precious network of protected sites. The work will involve carrying out comprehensive surveys to provide an accurate picture of populations and habitat for target bumblebee species. To maximise the project’s impact for nature, it will also work with other organisations to survey threatened insect species, like solitary bees, butterflies and beetles. A project officer will be employed to carry out bumblebee surveys on priority sites.

• Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm – ‘Nature Recovery’

In Pembrokeshire, Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm Ltd is receiving £211,624 to run its ‘Connected Commons & The Centre for Nature Recovery’ project. The project is aiming to plug the gaps in the fragmented habitat corridor across the St Davids Peninsula to strengthen the resilience of its network of protected land. Connecting habitats such as roosting and nesting sites will help species such as the rare greater horseshoe bat and aid nature’s recovery and the project will work with Pembrokeshire County Council to trial the use of amphibian ladders in road gulley drains. The development of The Bug Farm Nature Recovery Centre will actively encourage community engagement with the project.

• Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority – ‘Non-native, invasive species’

‘Pwyth mewn pryd / Stitch in time’ is a project run by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority which is getting £170,193 from the Nature Network Fund to remove and control the spread of non-native invasive species. It will target the Himalayan balsam and Japanese knotweed in rivers in the national park. Six areas will be targeted including Castlemartin Corse SSSI and the Milford Haven Waterway SSSI; the Aberarth Carreg Wylan SSSI. A project coordinator will be employed to lead and coordinate volunteers, community groups, contractors, staff and landowners.