Last chance to access grants of up to £1,000 through the Ayrshire Small Scale Tree Planting Programme
The Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership is starting 2025 with a fresh call for applications to its pioneering tree-planting programme, which focuses on small areas of publicly accessible land with potential to support wildlife and wellbeing.
The scheme launched in 2023 and following a successful pilot season was expanded to cover both East and South Ayrshire within the UNESCO-designated region, with additional funding partners coming on board. As well as South Ayrshire Council the grant programme is now backed by Scottish Forestry, the Woodland Trust, and Girvan-based biofuel supplier Land Energy. Eligible projects include small copses, treelines, field boundaries, parkland and orchards with individuals, organisations and business-owners all invited to apply. Up to 100% of material costs such as plants, shelters, tree guards and fencing materials may be funded, with funded labour costs also available to non-profits.
The Ayrshire Small-Scale Tree-Planting Programme is one of a range of long term initiatives led by the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership, a charity established in 2013 to operate community, nature and heritage projects across Scotland’s first UNESCO Biosphere. The charity supports local sustainable business through the Proud Supporter and Biosphere Certification Mark schemes, and delivers educational initiatives including outdoor learning for schools and Carbon Literacy training for community groups. The GSA Biosphere Partnership was also part of the successful joint submission for a Galloway National Park, with the proposal currently going through public consultation before NatureScot reports to Scottish Government at the end of April 2025.
Project lead Antoine Lemaire, the Biosphere’s Nature Recovery Officer, launched the 2024/25 programme in Maybole last August and is keen that nobody misses out on the available grants. “This is an important and exciting initiative for Ayrshire; our ambition is to reclaim land for native broadleaf trees and inspire a new pattern of land use that centres biodiversity while creating space for local people to connect with nature. The application process is quick and straightforward with in-person support always on hand, and we’d be absolutely delighted to see more individuals and groups take up the opportunity of funding that brings so many benefits to people and place.”
Applications for the Ayrshire Small-Scale Tree-Planting Programme will be accepted until Monday 17th March. For further information visit www.gsabiosphere.org.uk/natureandwildlife/biosphere-ayrshire-tree-planting-grant/ www.gsabiosphere.org.uk (where the application form is available to download), or contact Antoine directly to arrange a call and/or site visit: antoine@gsabiosphere.org.uk.
