A vital nature project that helps communities conserve wildlife in their local patch will receive an additional £1 for every £ 1 donation made from today for one week.

One donation made to Wild Oxfordshire’s Community Ecology project on the Big Give website will have twice the impact.

Donations open on #EarthDay, which is today, and close on April 29.

The charity said the initiative comes at a crucial time when demand from local groups for advice and support is increasing.

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Many councils have declared a climate emergency and more people have taken comfort in nature during the pandemic.

Wild Oxfordshire’s Community Ecology project has been supporting grassroots action for nature for over 20 years, serving some 80 communities and attracting more than 1,000 volunteers.

The groups are run by local residents generally with the support of the parish council. Some groups may be restoring ponds, while others are planting trees and hedgerows, creating meadows or managing their churchyard for wildlife.

Working in partnership with over 60 organisations, current projects include saving bees and other pollinators under threat, delivering natural solutions for flood management and giving nature a voice in countywide strategy and planning.

The Big Give is a platform that charities use to process online donations.

Using their one-off Green Match Fund, for every £1 Wild Oxfordshire can raise they will match it with another £1 up to cap of £2,500. If the charity can raise £2,500 in one week the platform will match it with another £2,500.

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Only one in four charities were successful at bidding for the fund and Wild Oxfordshire initially asked for a larger donation as its Community Ecology Project costs much more than £5,000 a year to run.

Clare Mowbray said demand for the project is increasing for many reasons.

She said: “Many parish councils have declared a climate emergency but now need advice and support on how to take that forward.

"The 'Greta Thunberg effect' has raised awareness of climate change and nature. The safe enjoyment of and interest in local green spaces has been heightened during the pandemic, where health and well-being of many are being severely tested.

“As the UK government sets out to invest more in nature’s recovery, we can expect community ecologists to play an increasingly important role in encouraging parish councils and mentoring local groups to show leadership, fostering understanding and facilitating the right actions on the ground.”

She said Wild Oxfordshire currently does not have the resources to meet the demand.

Trustee Sian Liwicki added: “Established groups are working hard to maximise their impact and we want to link them with other local groups to share knowledge, exchange skills and tools.”

Go to donate.thebiggive.org.uk/campaign/a056900001ndMOmAAM