THE South Downs Trust is urging landowners, farmers, parish councils and local authorities to apply for grants to create wildflower corridors and havens for bees and other pollinators.

Grants of up to £5,000 from the South Downs National Park Trust are available as part of one of the biggest charitable wildflower planting initiatives the south east has ever seen.

The trust is the official independent charity for the national park and is looking to hear from those with land that may be available for the Bee Lines project.

It was launched after £75,000 was raised to create a new network of wildflower corridors to help support bees and other pollinators, which have been on a steep decline across the UK for several decades and are now under threat from climate change.

Chalk wildflower grassland is the perfect habitat for pollinators and was once common on the South Downs, but the past century has seen this habitat reduced to just four per cent of the national park, creating fragmented areas that make it harder for pollinators to move through the landscape.

New wildflower planting will create a ‘road system,’ allowing them to move across the downs more easily and so become more resilient to environmental changes.

Project leader and countryside and policy manager for the South Downs National Park Nick Heasman said: “It’s exciting to open this out and finally get the ball rolling on the wildflower planting.

“This a wonderful opportunity to be part of nature recovery, making a difference to the health of our habitats and helping conserve our precious environment.”

The grants should be match funded by the applicant, who will also have to commit to maintain the wildflowers in future years.

Eligible projects, such as using seed mixes that include wildflowers, should be inside the national park and applications will be assessed against criteria, including habitat improvement, connectivity with other Bee Lines, and community impact.

Plant conservation charity Plantlife will provide advice on establishing and enhancing wildflower habitats.

Grant applications will be taken until midnight on September 30, and for details and guidance visit the website at www.southdownstrust.org.uk/beelines or contact Mark Rose on 01730 819219 or email [email protected]