About Me

Hello,

My name is Samuel Morton and I will be tackling the Mt Teide (the 3rd highest active volcano in the world!) challenge to raise money for the Atlantic Whale Foundation (charity no. 1076270).

I am from Uxbridge (Hillingdon, West London) and ever since I was really young I have always been interested in wildlife (which to my grandmothers annoyance involved me turning over her well placed paving stones!) which I eventually pursued this interest at university.

The Challenge - Climb Active Volcano Mt. Teide, Tenerife

- To climb Mt. Teide, the 3rd highest active volcano in the world (at 3718 metres, 3 times the size of Mt. Snowdon in Wales!) before sun rise!

Update: Due to summiting 2 1/2 hours too early (into -10 degrees) before sunrise, & inevitably having to climb down, I attempted to climb Mt. Teide for the 2nd time. Unfortunately I did not manage to summit this time due to breathing difficulties (I had to rush to reach to the top before sun rise as one of the team members was struggling so we slowed the pace down) but I did get very close to summiting!Why I am fundraising for the AWF

This means that I have not seen the volcano caste the longest shadow in the world as have not managed to get to the top to witness the sun rise - so maybe, one day, when I return to Tenerife I will give it another shot!

The reason I am taking my time to fundraise for the AWF is because it is working to protected endangered species by working with local communities whilst simultaneously giving British volunteers like myself the opportunity and experience to be involved in and help run conservation projects, such as the one I am currently working on in Indonesia.

The Cause & Work Done by the AWF with your sponsorship money

- Your sponsorship money will go towards helping volunteers (including myself) set up several conservation projects in Indonesia which benefit both people (by working with local communities) and wildlife whilst simultaneously benefiting volunteers involved in the project set-up by providing vital experience not gained in education and aiding personal development.

- To raise vital funds for the Atlantic Whale Foundation, a charity which brings ordinary people together with grassroots projects around the world fighting to defend communities under threat, nature and the environment.

About my work in Tenerife & how you can follow my progress

I am currently volunteering with the AWF in Tenerife. I am helping to collect data on the impact of the whale watching boats on the Bottlenose dolphins & Short-finned pilot whales, taking pictures of their dorsal fins for individual identification (each fin is unique to each dolphin and whale!) and helping collect signatures against the practice of Whaling in Europe.

When I am not on the boats doing the above, I (as well as the other volunteers here) am working towards developing a project in Indonesia which benefits both the local community and the endangered wildlife in the area (such as the critically endangered Leatherback and Hawksbill sea turtles).

For regular updates on my progress:

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/123167697806540/

My Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/MortonSamuel

My Personal Blog: http://antmansam2012.wordpress.com/44-2/

If you would like to know more about the conservation project myself and my team are working towards setting up please see our blog which is currently being worked on:

http://awfborneoproject.wordpress.com/

I am very grateful for your support both through your encouragement and sponsorships!

Visit this page from time to time to see various updates which will shortly follow!

Samuel

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.