Story
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><strong><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: small;">A MISSION LIKE NO OTHER</span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><strong><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;">Climbing over fences, through saltmarshes and down ditches; into the Lammermuirs, around North Berwick Law and up Arthurs Seat, has all been part of an amazing mission undertaken by one of the Scottish Seabird Centre’s longest standing volunteers, to raise funds for the charity.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mary Tebble, who is in her 80s, has had a lifelong passion for wild plants and in March this year she set off on a quest to find and record as many wild flowers as possible – and by her deadline of 31 October she has uncovered a very impressive 840 different species!</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mary followed the rules of the Wild Flower Society, which dictates that she could only count flowers that are genuinely wild (ie not planted or cultivated); count each plant only once; only plants that are numbered in Stace’s New Flora of the British Isles; and only plants which have at least one fully developed floret.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some of her most interesting finds have included knotted (or soft) clover and hoary cinquefoil at the volcanic outcrop at Waughton Crossroads; rock samphire and sea holly at Belhaven Bay and even purple viper’s bugloss in West Lothian. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mary Tebble said: “There have been many highlights in my quest: finding rue-leaved saxifrage at Yellowcraig, henbane in flower at John Muir Country Park and a pyramidal orchid on Aberlady Nature Reserve. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Some of the spin-offs have been tremendous: I’ve been thanked by an artist who paints wildflowers, a lecturer who wishes to take photos to show his students and a retired botanist who has had his memory jogged about his own enjoyable hunts.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Undertaking this mission has also made a big difference to me – not only have I lost weight but I have been able to walk on the level ground without my walking poles, which to me is a miracle!</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;">“While I have had lots of fun and made many discoveries, I hope everyone remembers that the purpose of this task has been to raise funds to invest into the invaluable work undertaken by the Scottish Seabird Centre. I hope that lots of people will show their support!” </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;">Please donate as much as you can to support Mary's amazing accomplishment!</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%; font-family: &amp;quot;Calibri&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;">Update on 1 May. Many thanks to many friends old and new. My little project has secured funds of £2,400 for the wonderful Scottish seabird Centre and we're not finished yet!</span></span></p>