Organisations to share £900,000 to focus on climate action.

More than 20 organisations from across Westmorland and Furness have received a share of almost £900,000 as part of a fund to help take climate action and support nature recovery.

Westmorland and Furness’ Climate and Nature Partnership Fund supports local partnerships to tackle climate change, support nature recovery and ensure a fair transition to a low carbon future.

The successful grant recipients aim to deliver programmes of work such as peatland restoration, improving invasive species management, creating a community wildlife garden and improving biodiversity.

One organisation to benefit is Windermere Science Festivals CIC, founded by director Nick Greenall.

Windermere Science Festival launched at Windermere Jetty Museum in March 2022.

The event ran again in May, featuring two days of talks, demonstrations, events, family-friendly activities, boat trips and workshops, with speakers including Greg Foot, presenter of Radio 4 programme Sliced Bread.

This year the festival will incorporate the themes of materials and food and host scientists including Dr Anna Ploszajski, presenter of the Handmade podcast.

"She's a really good communicator so she'll be doing something about the science of making and working with artists around how different materials act," says Nick.

"But there's also always an ecology theme because of where we are.”

The festival will take place again at the Jetty Museum in May.

However, it will visit local schools throughout the year to deliver talks and workshops.

It is receiving just over £15,000 from the Climate and Nature Partnership fund to work with local schools, ecologists and the council on its climate and nature programme, sharing good practice around biodiversity and carbon reduction.

"We're working with a few local schools, Crosthwaite School, Langdale School and St Martin and St Mary in Windermere," says Nick.

He says work at the schools includes initiatives such as beekeeping and creating wildflower meadows as part of learning at Crosthwaite.

"We're working with them to share practice, whether that's schools making their own wildflower meadows or learning about behavioural change in reducing carbon emissions which might be through programmes like using less and recycling. So it's knowledge sharing and peer to peer learning.”

The other 21 partnerships supported by the Climate and Nature Partnership Fund include Zero Carbon Cumbria, Arnside & Silverdale AONB, Cumbria Peat Partnership, Ormsgill Community Garden and Wild Walney.

Councillor Giles Archibald, Westmorland and Furness Council cabinet member for climate and biodiversity, said: “As a council, we have an ambition to provide leadership on climate change and in local nature recovery, working to ensure that the council is carbon net zero as soon as possible and that the area it serves is carbon net zero by 2037.

“I am delighted we are able to support such a fantastic and wide range of partnerships in delivering their ongoing work to tackle climate change and recover nature.

“We are fortunate to have many partners working to tackle the climate and nature emergencies and I look forward to us working collaboratively with them to deliver on our collective environmental priorities.”