Environment – £3,534,500 in 46 grants
The largest grant in the Environment category is £2,000,000 to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. This is for the capital redevelopment of their Herbarium and Library complex which is central to all Kew does, not only by classifying and identifying plant species but also by finding practical ways to use its collections and knowledge base in the fields of conservation and the sustainable use of plant resources. It currently houses 130 staff, including botanists, curators, archivists and conservation biologists. The collections, more than 7.5 million specimens and heritage assets in their own right, continue to grow by 0.2 miles of linear space per annum. They have physically run out of space. They will be adding a new wing which will provide 5,000 square metres of additional accommodation, including new, purpose-designed space to store, care for and display the collections, together with better long-term protection against environmental damage, pests and theft. Conservation work carried out off-site will be brought under the same roof and the collections better organised and more accessible. A new dedicated Reading Room and training suite will be provided, together with technology-based activities.
The Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, one of the oldest and most beautiful botanic gardens in the world and with one of the largest and most scientifically important plant collections, is supported with a grant of £250,000. This is the second largest free visitor attraction in Scotland, with 750,000 visitors per annum and they need to cater for these more effectively. The new Gateway project will be Scotland’s national centre for the education and interpretation of science and biodiversity. Its location on the perimeter and welcoming ambiance is calculated to attract new audiences. It will include exhibitions, live presentations by experts, web-based link-ups, a dedicated education space, information and a fully interpreted Biodiversity Garden.
£180,000 is provided to the Zoological Society of London which is currently undertaking a ten year phased programme to bring the Zoo up to a standard suitable for the 21st century. As part of this they are creating a new Gorilla Kingdom within a forest setting, which will immerse visitors in the sights, sounds and smells of the African rainforest. The scheme will include new opportunities for formal and informal education, with particular focus on wild gorilla behaviour, the wider context of African rainforest habitats and the conservation issues impacting on animals and humans. A proportion of the appeal funding will be allocated to projects contributing to the conservation of gorillas in the wild, in Gabon and in the Congo.
A pledge of £250,000 is made to the Calyx, a £30 million project to develop a garden showcase for Scotland on the outskirts of Perth, subject to Lottery and other match funding being obtained. It is within a 90 minute drive of 90 per cent of the population of Scotland. The Trust already runs a small centre incorporating the National Heather Collection, shop and café but through acquisition of adjoining farmland they will have a total of 61 acres on which to create a lifelong learning resource in horticulture at both professional and amateur levels. It will be open to visitors of all ages and abilities, and in addition to being an educational and leisure experience for the gardening public will include playground areas for children, picnic sites and extensive car parking. Hands-on practical work, lectures, short courses and training opportunities will be on offer. They anticipate 700,000 visitors per annum and the Calyx will employ over 100 people, including trainee gardeners.
The Trustees have added another £100,000 to their earlier grant of £250,000 to help the Royal Horticultural Society complete its new Glasshouse at Wisley. Grants of £50,000 are made to, amongst others, the Brogdale Horticultural Trust to help protect its national collection of fruit trees, to Buglife towards the conservation of invertebrates, the Climate Group towards its research programme, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds for land acquisition and the British Trust for Ornithology for its 2007-2011 Distribution Atlas of the birds of Britain and Ireland.
The object of engaging young people is demonstrated by a £25,000 donation to the Young People’s Trust for the Environment for its schools’ education programme and free information service. £10,000 is provided to Trees for Cities for its Youth Involvement and Education programme and the same amount to Thames21 for schemes to involve communities in improving the waterways across London.
The built environment also features, with grants to the Canterbury Oast Trust (£20,000), the Heritage of London Trust and the Conservation Foundation (£15,000 each) and St James’s Conservation Society (£5,000).
