Funding Boost For Fife Wildlife Centre

Fife Nature Records Centre has secured funding of £30,000 from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) over the next three years.

Fife Nature Records Centre manages species and habitats data so that decisions which affect local biodiversity are made using the best available information. It’s also available to support site and species monitoring, research and education, including by the wider community. Over the years, the centre has gathered hundreds of thousands of wildlife records from volunteer recorders, conservation organisations and professional ecologists.

The centre also benefits the Local Biodiversity Action Plan, helpingFife play their part in protecting and restoring Scotland’s biodiversity. In addition, the information held helps study the effects of key issues such as climate change.

Keith Dalgleish of SNH said: “We’re very pleased to continue to support the work of Fife Nature Records Centre. It contributes much to our knowledge and understanding of the very special Fife wildlife. The records centre’s services are invaluable for communities, developers and land managers. Fife Nature is a great asset to the area and plays an important role in safeguarding wildlife for the future.”

The funding will help deliver a range of training courses, events, recorders’ excursions and public surveys.

Lindsay Bamforth, who manages Fife Nature Records Centre, said: “We’re extremely grateful for the opportunities this funding will present– a big thank you to SNH. Not only will it see us surpass 400,000 species records, crucially it will help us support and promote biological recording.

“Knowing what wildlife exists in our area is an important step to protecting it. By supporting existing recorders, encouraging people new to recording and developing the skill of those with all levels of experience, we hope to inspire people to get out there and tell us what they find.”