Birds, butterflies, bees, and bats are among the wildlife set to benefit from more than £18,000 in funding from East Cambridgeshire District Council.

Burrough Green has been awarded £14,700 to fully renovate its village nature pond. This will include working with Froglife to dredge and clear the pond and add new pond plants to attract wildlife.

The parish council is also arranging for the pond to have shallower slopes so it is safer for people and will allow wildlife, such as hedgehogs, to access the water.

Members of the Prospects Trust are helping to plant spring and summer bulbs and wildflowers alongside the allotments and cemetery in Swaffham Prior.

A £1392 grant has been provided to the village’s Community Land Trust (CLT). The CLT has chosen an array of pollinators, including primrose, cowslips, knapweed, and field scabious.

St Andrew’s Church in Soham is to receive a grant of £1000 as part of a wider scheme of measure to improve the churchyard for wildlife and increase biodiversity.

Bird and bat boxes, bug hotels and hedgehog houses are being added, as well as a new bin to encourage people not to drop litter.

In Mepal more than 40 volunteers have been helping to plant 60 metres of species-rich hedgerow.

The parish council has received £856.58 towards the cost of the project, which is the first stop in its nature recovery plan for the village.

Cllr Julia Huffer, chair of East Cambridgeshire District Council’s Operational Services committee, said: “I am delighted to see so many different Pride of Place projects are taking place.

“Increasing biodiversity is one of the best things we can do to encourage nature to come back to East Cambridgeshire.

She added: “And the added bonus of all of these projects is they engage local people, and bring a real sense of community back to East Cambs.”

East Cambridgeshire District Council is making up to £15,000 available for individual environmentally friendly projects that create, tidy up or enhance somewhere special in local communities.

Applicants must either be a parish council, or a non-profit group or organisation which is either based in East Cambridgeshire or benefits East Cambridgeshire residents.