The new month has brought fresh hope for conservation with the opening of the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA)’s latest funding round. Applications will be accepted until the 30th June and the association is looking specifically for projects involving plastic waste clean up.

In line with its two year Plastic Free: Mountain to Sea campaign, with a target set to clear 3000km of trail, coast, river and mountain from plastic waste, this summer’s funding round is appealing for organisations involved in cleaning habitats from the blight of rubbish to apply for up to €30,000 to help raise awareness of the issue, reduce single use plastic waste at source, and clean up the habitats where it is already causing damage, pollution and threatening wildlife.

The application process is being held slightly different this time, with applicants being asked to fill in a very brief application form, outlining a summary of their project and goals. From these applications, the EOCA team will contact those projects which most effectively fulfil the strict application criteria from a conservation point of view, asking them to fill in a full application form with more details about what they hope to achieve.

Joint General Manager Tanya Bascombe said, “It feels really good to be able to ask organisations to apply to us for funding during such difficult times, and it is testament to our many members and their continued support that we are able to do this. With awful pictures of single use personal protective equipment simply being discarded outside onto the ground across the world, as well as the litter left in beauty spots and on beaches as lockdown restrictions are lifted, it is an opportune moment to remind people that we need to redouble our efforts to protect and look after our planet’s habitats and wildlife.”

INFO: EOCA