Hi, I'm Tom. I currently study Conservation Biology and Ecology at Exeter University, Penryn campus in Cornwall. On October 15th, I am running a marathon barefoot to raise money for rewilding the Helman Tor.

The Helman Tor is over 700 acres of rugged landscape making it the Wildlife Trust's largest nature reserve. This vast wetland is composed of a variety of unique ecosystems sculpted by centuries of tin mining. From marsh to moorland, woodland to lakes, it's a haven for rare plants, birds, insects, mammals, reptiles and people alike. A beautiful example of Cornwall's rich history and wild present. 

Learn more about the Helman Tor at www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/helman-tor

Your donations will be used to expand the Helman Tor, by rewilding surrounding farmland, taking inspiration from historic landscapes and reintroducing species that provide the conditions for numerous others to flourish. Introducing beavers - the ecosystem engineers - and grazers such as longhorn cattle, ponies and pigs encourages the land to return to how nature intended.

Since I am raising funds to rewild the Helman Tor, it only seems fitting to rewild myself in the process. Moving to Cornwall from near Liverpool and living life much closer to nature has healed and enriched my soul, teaching me so much about nature's generosity while leaving me with a desire to serve, protect, learn and live in harmony with nature. This obsession with historic and indigenous ways of living has lead me down a fascinating and rewarding path of reconnecting with knowledge of wild foraging, folklore, bushcraft and training my body in organic ways. All contributing to living a more sustainable and self-sufficient life. 

The human foot is a biomechanical masterpiece with 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 tendons and ligaments. Why mess with evolution's expertise by confining our feet in narrow, padded cages? Barefoot running has broadened my understanding of what the human body is capable of, improved my running endurance, speed, gait efficiency, balance, eye to foot proprioception and removed my chronic foot pain (metatarsalgia). Therefore I also run this marathon to inspire others to reclaim your primal connection to nature. 

Go to your local nature reserve, get your feet in the soil, eat some blackberries, remember you are a part of the ecosystem. With your donations, others will be able to do the same at Helman Tor.

'We all know that nature is in trouble. Despite Cornwall's wild beauty, we're losing precious wildlife here at a shocking rate, but you can be part of bold plans to apply rewilding principles to our largest nature reserve, Helman Tor .With your support, we can enable nature to take the lead in caring for itself. Rewilding is all about returning natural processes to the landscape so nature can look after itself, leading to dynamic mosaics of different habitats. It may be achieved by allowing rivers to move freely in a flood plain, streams to be dammed by beavers, or introducing large herbivores to roam extensive areas and graze naturally. This reduces the need for humans to manage the land with machinery.' - Cornwall Wildlife Trust

Follow my training: https://www.strava.com/athletes/120742730