More than £3m of "green cash" has been ploughed into community projects across Oxfordshire.

The milestone has been reached by environmental body Wren, which redistributes money raised through the landfill communities fund.

So far bus museums, nature reserves and village halls have been among the 135 projects to receive grants since 2001.

Other major grants this year have included £50,000 for a hard surface play area in Chalgrove and £49,000 for the University Museum of Natural History in Oxford.

The group is looking for more projects to fund.

One of the major beneficiaries is the Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB) nature reserve at Otmoor, which was handed £246,000.

The 1,000 acre reserve, near Beckley, is an important breeding site for wading birds such as lapwings and redshanks and is home to more than 18 species of dragonflies, water voles and otters.

It also has the largest reed bed in central England, attracting thousands of waterfowl in the winter and ducks and warblers in summer.

The grants helped to restore wetland habitats, regenerate reed beds and improve visitor facilities.

Otmoor warden David Wilding said the funding had been vital: "It has improved the wildlife in the area and really benefited our work.

"It has funded footpaths to provide better access to the reserve and helped create wet grassland habitat for wild birds.

"Otmoor was arable land in 1997 and in 10 years it has been restored to a wetland and reedbed habitat."

Oxford Bus Museum, near Witney, has benefited from three grants to improve visitor facilities.

Wren's project manager in Oxfordshire said: "The projects we have funded have directly benefited communities, wildlife and hopefully local people's lives.

"There is further funding available throughout 2007 and I would encourage community and environmental groups to come forward and contact us about possible grants."

Wren is the largest organisation of its kind in the UK and has funded more than 3,500 projects with over £85m since 1998.

For more information on its community and environmental grants, call 01953 717165 or log on to www.wren.org.uk