I wanted to tell you about the John Muir Trust, as they have a gift membership scheme. 

The conservation charity is dedicated to the experience, protection and repair of wild places.

It owns and cares for some of the finest wild places in Scotland including the summit of Ben Nevis, part of the Cuillin on Skye, and it recently took on the land management of Glenridding Common in the Lake District in England.

Equally, you may prefer to adopt an acre and protect wild mountain landscapes by adopting an acre on four iconic mountains – Ben Nevis, Schiehallion, Blà Bheinn on Sky or Ladhar Bheinn in Knoydart.

The John Muir Trusts works to:

1. To protect wild land, speaking out when it comes under threat and working to influence the policies which affect it.  In 2014, its campaigning work meant the Scottish Government introduced better wild land protection measures – and that meant adopting Wild Land Areas into planning policy
   
   
2. To manage land, rewilding habitats, managing deer and monitoring biodiversity.  It has to manage deer so that nature can support deer populations.  In 25 years, the Trust has achieved a ten fold increase in native tree cover on its land on Knoydart – and that will encourage wildlife to come back and improve biodiversity
   
   
3. To connect people and nature – it helps thousands of people get out into nature every year through the John Muir Award – and many of them wouldn’t have the chance, otherwise

One way to support this work is by becoming a member and joining 11,000 like-minded people who also care about the natural world.  Or give a gift membership! 

A gift membership gives the recipient

• A welcome pack with recent publications, a car sticker and bookmark
• Regular mailings during the year, with 2 copies of the Journal and of Members’ News and an Annual Report, PLUS invites to work parties and events!
• Exclusive discounts

• Individual
• Joint/Family
• Individual Concession (that’s for full-time students, senior citizens, and unwaged)
• Joint/Family Concession (for full-time students, senior citizens and unwaged)
• Group

 You can pay by direct debit monthly or a one off, and there’s a lifetime membership as well. 

 Find out more and help the John Muir Trust protect wild places today!

It’s World Wetlands Day!

Wetlands are a really important part of our planet, although they cover very little of its surface.   They are, effectively, where land meets water, and as such they cover areas such as shores, estuaries, mudflats, floodplains, coastal marshes, local ponds, the bog and pond in your garden, mangrove swamps, seagrass beds, and rivers.  

Why wetlands matter

They provide us with drinking water, they store a third of the world’s carbon emissions and they buffer us from floods and droughts.

They are important to wildlife because 40% of all plant and animal species live or breed here.  They are vital breeding and feeding grounds for migratory birds – stopover points, if you like.  They give wildlife a chance to rest, shelter and winter.   

The theme in 2020 is Wetlands and Biodiversity.  You can find out about it here.

Wetlands are facing increasing threats from pollution, climate change, dams and over-exploitation. 

In the UK, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust works hard to combat these threats. 

Why not give a membership and support their work?  They offer Family, Joint and Individual memberships and there’s a Life Membership as well.

Membership benefits:

• Unlimited entry to WWT’s nine wetland centres
• A Welcome Pack full of information about the charity’s conservation work and visitor centres
• Quarterly copies of WWT’s award-winning ‘Waterlife’ magazine
• Entry vouchers for friends and family
• Keep up to date via regular newsletters sent straight to your inbox
• Free welcome gift if you pay by Direct Debit

The WWT’s vision is “A world where healthy wetland nature thrives and enriches lives”. 

Memberships help the WWT:

• Restore, connect and enhance wetland habitats
• Recover endangered species in the UK and further afield, such as the spoon-billed sandpipers
• Help people to manage, protect and appreciate their wetlands
  
  

Help the WWT fulfil its vision and in doing so help people and wildlife around the world.

Give a Gift Membership to the WWT today

There’s great news from those fabulous people at gift experience company Into the Blue.

And they have a number of Gourmet Gifts and Subscriptions you could take a look at if you want a gift for someone who loves food.

There are Spice Boxes, a 241 Curry Card, and a Date Night Subscription Box.

For anyone with a sweet tooth, there’s a  Hotel Chocolat Adventure Subscriptions, a Luxury Chocolate Brownie Subscription, a Two Person Brownie Heart Subscription and a Monthly Sweet Subscription.

Lovers of drink aren’t forgotten either, with subscriptions for those who love to taste whisky or wine, and a monthly fresly roasted coffee subscriptions.

If your loved one enjoys dining out a lot, you could take a look at a 12 month gourmet society membership, a Dine Club Membership or a 12 Month Tastecard Membership.  

And finally, there’s even a Cookery Book Club! 

Why not browse Into the Blue’s website and take a look for yourself!  Happy Browsing! 

This offer even applies to experiences on special offer already!

Whatever the weather…..

Whatever the weather, there’s something to see at ZSL’s London Zoo.   In fact, they’ve put up a list of suggestions on their website to give you a few pointers.

If it’s pouring with rain, fear not…

Enter London’s Rainforest Life and come face to face with species such as sloths, tamanduas and Emperor tamarins.  Then go to the Night Zone to see what the nocturnal animals get up to after dark….

See Rainforest Life

Go to the Blackburn Pavillion where you’ll find many birds, some free flying…..

Learn more about life cycles, biodiversity and climate change in Butterfly Paradise – you’re surrounded by the hundreds of butterflies chosen to represent the 100,000 species existing on the planet

Then you could go to BUGS which stands for Biodiversity Underpinning Global Survival, a biodiversity and conservation exhibit.  It’s the main place where invertebrates (who have no backbone) are, and there’s the UK’s first ever walk-through spider exhibit, too!

The Reptile House goes back to 1926 and here you’ll find reptiles and amphibians, including snakes, lizards, frogs and crocodiles! 

Behind the Reptile House, you’ll find the home of Ganas, a Komodo Dragon.  Komodo Dragons have incredibly sharp teeth and toxic saliva that can fell a buffalo.  You wouldn’t want to mess with a Komodo Dragon.

The good news is that many of the outdoor exhibits have sheltered spaces where you can watch the animals out of the rain.  There’s the train station at Land of the Lions, two big viewing areas at Tiger Territory and the western lowland gorillas’ jungle gym at Gorilla Kingdom mean you can watch under cover.

The Lemur area has a big indoor area for people and lemurs, whilst you can see inside the indoor area for pygmy hippos Thug and Nicky.

You can always stop off for a hot drink and something to each in the Terrace restaurant – and then why not just take a peek at the penguins, even if it is still raining and just brave the weather?

So even if there’s a deluge, there’s plenty of things to see……   so why not head off to ZSL London Zoo to see them for yourself?