The National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage have announced the opening of the NPWS Grants for small recording projects 2021. Grants up to a maximum of €5,000 are available to support the recording of all aspects of Irish natural history. This is the 3rd year of the scheme and to date over 20 projects have been supported by grants in 2019 and 2020. These projects include the following:
- Bat Conservation Ireland, records database support
- Camolin Wood moth survey
- Wild Kildare moth recording project
- Moths Ireland, records database support
- Lough Grainey Nature Reserve, website development and recording site
- BSBI Ireland, online aquatic plant training courses
- Snipe Conservation Ireland, purchase of specialist tracking equipment
- Wild Derrynane, support for a publication
Full details of the 2021 scheme is available here
The primary aim of these grants is to support and encourage the current network of naturalists recording in Ireland and to develop the next generation of specialist recorders. Grants are aimed at volunteer, unpaid recorders, or groups, societies and associations of recorders who have limited/no access to financial supports for their work.