Biodiversity Challenge Funds

📣 Applications to Round 5 of #DarwinPlus Local are now OPEN! Are you in the #UKOverseasTerritories and have an idea for a small scale environmental project that aims to improve outcomes for biodiversity, #buildcapacity in-territory and contribute to the local economy? 🐠 ✍️ Apply now! 🔗 https://loom.ly/YCUkQh0 📆 Applications is Monday 25 November 2024. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs JNCC #UKOT #UKOTs #environmentalprojects #fundingannouncement #BiodiversityFunding #ConservationFunding #ConservationGrants #BiodiversityFinance

🚨 Today is the LAST DAY TO APPLY for #DarwinPlus Local - applications close at 11:59PM (GMT) tonight! ⌛ Head to the #DarwinPlus website to apply now ➡️ https://loom.ly/HrufUq0 #UKOTs #BiodiversityFunding #ConservationFunding #ConservationGrants

📢 OCEAN Funding announcement 📢 Do you have a project that is committed to creating lasting change in the #marine 🐠environment and for the most vulnerable coastal communities? 🌊 📆 Our friends at Ocean Community Empowerment and Nature (OCEAN) Grants Programme will be opening their next funding window on 6 January 2025. Find out more and click the link to apply in the post below ⬇️

Today we are celebrating #WorldFisheriesDay! 🎣 Empowering fishing communities for marine conservation is a vital step in ensuring healthy oceans for future generations. BirdLife International's ‘Guardians of the Sea’ program in Cabo Verde is a wonderful example of this in action. With support from local NGOs, artisanal fishing communities are: 🐢 Reducing bycatch of threatened seabirds, marine turtles, and sharks 💰 Improving livelihoods while preserving healthy fish stocks 🏷️ Establishing a sustainable fisheries certification Learn more about this inspiring project 🔗 https://loom.ly/bDjczTY 📸 Credits: 1. Fishermen at sea, fully engaged in fishing activities- Biosfera 2. Fishers returning from sea after long day's work in Baía das Gatas - Biosfera #BiodiversityConservation #SustainableLivelihoods #MarineConservation #DarwinInitiative #FisheriesDay

To supplement the #livelihood of the people affected by human-elephant conflict #HEC, we organised capacity building #training on #MushroomCultivation in the district of the #WestGaroHills in #Meghalaya, one of the worst HEC-affected districts in the state. Around 25 people from several neighbouring villages of Tikrikila Block took part in the training held in Bordubi LP School. Arpana Rabha conducted hands-on training on #OysterMushroom. Throughout the event, attendees learned about various #mushroom species, cultivation techniques, and the economic benefits of this sustainable practice. The programme not only aimed at stimulating local economic growth but also sought to promote sustainable livelihoods, ensuring that the participants could effectively apply what they learnt to improve their income generation and offset the losses incurred due to HEC. Of these 25 villagers, seven were our beneficiaries, who all were supported with 2 kg of mushroom spawn each. This is a joint initiative of Aaranyak and British Asian Trust, with support from #DarwinInitiative Biodiversity Challenge Funds to work with multi stakeholders to promote human-elephant #coexistence in the region. Aaranyak's Anjan Baruah, Nipul Chakma, Swapan Das, Subash Ch Rabha, and Pankaj Das, and Village Champion Amrit Rabha coordinated the event. Elephant Family

⏱️ Less than one week left to apply for #DarwinPlus Local! We invite applications from small-scale environmental projects that improve #biodiversity 🦩 and resilience to #ClimateChange 🌎 within the UK Overseas Territories. ⌛ Submit your applications before the final deadline on Monday 25 November 2024 at 11.59PM (GMT). ✍️ Apply via the link now 🔗 https://loom.ly/HrufUq0 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs JNCC #UKOT #UKOTs #EnvironmentalProjects #BiodiversityFunding #ConservationFunding #ConservationGrants #BiodiversityFinance

« Drones and Images from Space Count Elephant Seals | A team of researchers are using aerial imagery to count southern elephant seals on the sub-Antarctic Island of South Georgia. » It's no secret we're fans of the British Antarctic Survey and we found *yet another* reason as described in this article. They're capturing detailed imagery with what appears to be a garden-variety AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. eBee X survey drone for a Biodiversity Challenge Funds project. Well worth a read. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gsiKJrE7 🏷️ #conservation #elephantseal #surveydrone 🏞️ 🛩️ 📡 💺 ⚡️ 📸 British Antarctic Survey

Though the Kaya Connect Project, we are also shaping minds of over 1000 students in 11 schools, who are growing indigenous trees, enabling biodiversity conservation, understanding and appreciating their cultural heritage more, and appreciating the need and benefits of restoring and sustainable utilization of their natural resources. Collectively, and with the student champions, we are outreaching over 10,000 students to adapt the same practices. #environmentalawareness #forestlandscaperestoration #NatureInspired #BiodiversityConservation Botanic Gardens Conservation International Biodiversity Challenge Funds The LEAF Charity

🌊 First-ever study using Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVS) in São Tomé and Príncipe 🐠 Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVS) are underwater cameras that use bait to attract and record marine species, providing a non-invasive way to monitor fish communities and biodiversity. With over 400 deployments in the STP archipelago, this new research offers invaluable insights into marine biodiversity in one of the world’s most fisheries-dependent regions. This collaborative study led by ExeterMarine alongside partners Fauna & Flora , Fundação Príncipe , Oikos - Cooperação e Desenvolvimento, and MARAPA, helps lay the groundwork for more sustainable marine management. Key findings: 1️⃣ All three main habitats contributed significantly to species richness, highlighting the need to protect diverse habitat types 2️⃣ Rocky reef and maerl habitats emerged as particularly important, supporting high abundance of species vital to artisanal fisheries 3️⃣ São Tomé showed lower abundance of species targeted by artisanal fisheries, suggesting potential fishing impacts that merit further attention. This work is part of a collaborative effort to establish the first network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in São Tomé and Príncipe to support ocean recovery and local community livelihoods, funded by Blue Action Fund, Arcadia, the Rainforest Trust, Oceans 5, Bohemian Foundation and the Biodiversity Challenge Funds. Learn more at rede-ampstp.com, and view the full study here: https://lnkd.in/du8BB7au

In preparation for Reef Futures 2024, our research assistant, Laia Burgues Palau, is analyzing coral cover changes from photogrammetry surveys. Photogrammetry is a high technology, 3D marine mapping program, which enables us to quantify our restoration impact and assess changes before and after coral planting. She is returning to Living Reefs Foundation to assist our Blue Barrier Initiative, a pilot study in Bermuda aiming to strengthen artificial breakwaters using cultivated corals as a nature-based solution. In collaboration with Dr. Ronan Roche (University of Bangor) and with the assistance of Dr. Andrew Mogg (Tritonia Scientific), we are also analyzing changes in habitat complexity, which will help us in optimizing our coral planting plan and further fortify this artificial breakwater. Results from our 12-month study will be presented at Reef Futures 2024 hosted by Coral Restoration Consortium on December 9-13, 2024. We look forward to having enlightening discussions with colleagues on coral restoration. This work could not have been implemented without the generous support of the Biodiversity Challenge Funds Darwin Plus Local (U.K. Government). Photos: Left- Laia preparing for a photogrammetry survey. Right- Extracting data from Agisoft Metashape shown below. #coralrestoration #Bermuda #coralconservation #Darwinpluslocal #marinemapping