Projects that aim to restore Scotland’s rainforest and protect some of the country’s most threatened wildlife are among those set to benefit from a round of crucial new funding.

A package of Scottish Government support, totalling over £2.9m, will focus on conservation, research, and connecting people with nature and is aiming to accelerate the response to the biodiversity and climate crises.

One project to restore Scotland’s rainforest will receive over £1.3m, mainly to control invasive rhododendron and manage the impacts of wild deer to promote the recovery of the fragile forest ecosystem.

‘Species on the edge’, a five-year partnership project, will receive £500,000, helping to support 37 of Scotland’s most vulnerable species, such as the great yellow bumblebee and the Scottish primrose. A further £200,000 will go to the Green Action Trust to help expand nature networks – supporting their work with local communities across Scotland to create and restore woodlands and wetlands.

Biodiversity minister, Scottish Greens' Lorna Slater, said: “The interlinked crises of nature loss and climate change need urgent action across government and society. A healthy natural environment with restored and thriving biodiversity is also crucial to both our well-being and our economy.

“That is why we are continuing to support and build on a wide programme of enhancing nature protection. This new package of funding adds to our £65m Nature Restoration Fund, which supports projects across Scotland – on land and at sea – that address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.

“We are at a critical moment as we approach the UN CoP15 biodiversity summit at the end of this year. We will soon publish a new Biodiversity Strategy for Scotland, which will set out what our natural environment needs to look like by 2045 in order to reverse biodiversity decline and protect our environment for the future.

“This will set out in detail how we achieve our goals and a Natural Environment Bill which will pave the way for statutory nature restoration targets.”

Alistair Whyte, for Woodland Trust Scotland and Plantlife Scotland, said: “We welcome the allocation of funding to begin the crucial work of halting the loss of Scotland’s rainforest. Restoring the rainforest will need a long-term, strategic approach to funding and action on the ground.

"In financially challenging times, this announcement is an encouraging step towards fulfilling that larger commitment to restore and expand this precious ecosystem.”

RSPB Scotland director, Anne McCall, added: “Support for work that is focused on species and the restoration of Scotland’s rainforest highlights the importance of addressing nature loss across Scotland – there is so much more to be done, by all sectors, if we are to realise a future where nature and people can thrive.”

Projects being funded

Species on the Edge

Five-year partnership programme with NatureScot, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and nature conservation charities improving the fortunes of 37 priority species.

£50,000 allocation this year. A total Scottish Government contribution of £500,000 to £6.7m total cost.

Scottish Biodiversity Information Forum

Partnership project co-funded with NatureScot to develop the first steps in a strategic approach to the collection, collation, and sharing of biological data across Scotland, supporting the transition to net zero and helping halt and reverse biodiversity loss.

£31,000 this year – total of £290,000 over three years.

Scotland’s rainforest restoration

Support for a programme of work initially enabling Forestry and Land Scotland to control invasive non-native species on 60 ha of priority rainforest sites, moving on to new priority sites and developing opportunities for collaboration with the Alliance for Scotland's Rainforest and development of deer management plans for key sites.

£555,000 capital and £750,000 resource.

Nature Networks

To support the Green Action Trust’s work on local nature networks. Green Action Trust will work with local communities to create and restore woodlands and wetlands.

£200,000 top-up capital to their core grant.

Nature Restoration Fund Top-up funding to the Transforming Nature multi-year project window, and additional capital to the National Parks to support their nature plans.

£453,000.

The Conservation Volunteers

Support for the delivery of environmental volunteering, getting people engaged with nature, particularly in urban and socially deprived areas, each year TCV organise over 17,000 workdays planting over 15,000 trees, 26,000 wildflower bulbs, and repairing 21km of paths.

£170,000