George Eustice, the Member of Parliament for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle, has welcomed the outcome of the first round of the newly announce Green Recovery Challenge Fund. One of the successful projects is the Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust who have been awarded £75,700 to protect Cornish grey seals.
The Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust will use the new funding to help reduce the disturbance to grey seals along the Cornish coast, by raising awareness with local residents and tourists on how to 'Watch Seals Well'. The project will train community citizen scientists to undertake and assess seal/ human interaction surveys, to help people to understand how their behaviour impacts on this globally rare species. Retains 1 FT Seal Ranger and creates 2 new PT Marine Rangers.
The Trust is just 1 of a total of 68 environmental projects have been awarded grants of between £62,000 and £3.8 million to help create and retain thousands of green jobs, the government announced today, with the funding all coming from the Government’s £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund.
The projects, which will benefit areas across England, will see trees planted - up to a million in total - and protected landscapes and damaged habitats such as moorlands, wetlands and forests restored, alongside wider conservation work. The projects will also support environmental education and connecting people with green spaces.
Greeting the news George commented, “Being able to experience a natural environment has never been more essential for the nation’s health and wellbeing as it has been this year. Groups such as the Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust play an important role in protecting out natural environment here in Cornwall and allow people to enjoy it in a safe and positive way. I am pleased they have benefited from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund.”
The Director of the Trust, Sue Sayer, said the grant will help "transform people's relationship with seals and help us all to share our seas successfully marine life can thrive. This is our best chance to protect seals by raising awareness about ways to enjoy our coastline and help seals".
Find out more about the Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust HERE.
George has written about how we should build back greener from the Coronavirus pandemic, you can read more about that HERE.
