The European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) is looking to fund projects that benefit biodiversity in a wild landscape.

Projects should conserve, protect, enhance, restore and/or reconnect habitats within a given landscape that are particularly important for the biodiversity there.

Areas

The two main areas that must be addressed in its application are:

- Protect, enhance or restore key threatened species, habitats or wider ecosystems in 'wild' areas: EOCA defines 'wild' areas as non-urban environments and ecosystems that occur in as natural a state as possible given the location and use of the area. This can include, for example, moorland, hills, mountains, coastlines, rivers, forest, grasslands, peatlands and ocean areas. 'Key' species, habitats or ecosystems are defined here as those that are threatened, those that perform a 'keystone' function or those that are indicators of wider ecosystem health. The project should identify and address the main threats to species, habitats or wider ecosystems, and how it will protect and/or improve them. Innovative solutions to "old" problems will be especially welcome.

- As highlighted above, the project should enhance the experience of outdoor enthusiasts, as well as protecting the identified species, habitat or wider ecosystem from any negative impact by their visits. Projects can, for example, enhance a visitor's experience by protecting an endangered species that they can then see, or protect an area by ensuring trails/rock faces/watercourses and/or associated information/education prevent visitors from damaging fragile habitats or disturbing vulnerable wildlife.

Results

Your application should include 3 easily identifiable and measurable results to show how the project will address the problems. They should consider:

Conservation measures that address specific issues and root causes: What are the identified threats to the species /habitat/ecosystem? What are the impacts of these threats? How will these threats be eliminated, alleviated or better managed? How will the habitat/ecosystem be protected, enhanced or restored? How will the project deliver the desired results? How will the experience for the local community, visitors and the habitat be improved in the long term?

Involvement / engagement of the local population: For a project to be sustainable, it is vital that local people are fully engaged. If local communities and also communities of interest are not involved, they may not feel the need or desire to ensure that the good work started continues into the future. Obviously, if specialised work needs to be carried out, relevant experts may need to be brought in, but wherever possible, projects will involve the local community, giving them ownership of the project and its results, and contributing to their livelihoods during and after the project.

Education and communication: Education and communication should be aimed at both local communities and visitors. Education should include communicating responsible ways to enjoy the project area, suggestions for how visitors and residents can reduce threats to the species, habitat or ecosystem, and ways in which they can help protect the biodiversity of the project area. How will you reach potential visitors to the area effectively and communicate with the local community, and how will this process continue once the EOCA funding for the project is finalised?

Eligibility criteria

- Non-profit organisations can apply to EOCA for grants of up to €30,000 to implement a conservation project in any country in the world, except North America (USA and Canada - where the Conservation Alliance provides funding for the North American outdoor industry's conservation efforts).

- EOCA members can nominate up to three projects (from different or the same organisations) each year. If you, as a conservation organisation, have no personal contact with their members, please don't worry! Apply directly and if your project gets on the list, they will help you find a nominee! Project applications MUST:- protect a threatened species or habitat;- have a link to the outdoor enthusiast;- involve practical conservation work.

For more information, visit 

https://www.outdoorconservation.eu/project-info.cfm?pageid=20