A grant of £5,000 has been made available to help fund work to remove invasive plants in the New Forest.

The Love the Forest scheme is part of the New Forest Trust and secures financial support locally through donations and from the millions of people who visit the Forest every year.

It has awarded a grant to the New Forest Non-Native Plants Project (NFNNPP), which works to restore and conserve the Forest’s special habitats by stopping the spread of invasive non-native plants and raising awareness about the damage they cause to the environment and the economy.

The NFNNPP works with local communities and organisations and is supported by hundreds of volunteers who have helped remove huge swathes of invasive non-native plants such as Himalayan balsam, from New Forest riverbanks, allowing wild flowers to flourish.

Catherine Chatters, New Forest non-native plants officer, said, “By volunteering with the project, people are able to increase their appreciation, knowledge and understanding of the New Forest, not only its flora and fauna but also the vital role that commoners and their animals perform in the conservation of this very special area.”

Love the Forest works with businesses across the New Forest to raise funds for conservation and education projects, as well as providing grants to local organisations.

Businesses in the New Forest provide opportunities for their customers to help look after this precious landscape by adding a donation on a room stay, meal or product. Some businesses donate directly or run fundraising events and the scheme has raised £265,000 for New Forest groups and organisations.

If you are a New Forest business and would like to help protect this special place, please get in touch: https://www.newforesttrust.org.uk/love-the-forest

Alternatively, you can donate to Love the Forest online: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/finalCharityHomepage.action?charityId=1008157