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*** BIG MATCH FORTNIGHT HAS NOW ENDED, SO DONATIONS CAN NO LONGER BE X4. FURTHER DONATIONS UP TO MY £5,000 TARGET WILL STILL BE DOUBLED BY ECCLESIASTICAL ***
How donations up to the £5,000 target can be multiplied four times
I’m combining a matching scheme that my employer Ecclesiastical, part of the Benefact Group, runs with World Land Trust’s (WLT) Big Match Fortnight.
So for every £1 raised on this JustGiving page between 7 and 21 October 2026 (both dates included), up to my £5,000 fundraising target, my employer Ecclesiastical will double it to £2 and WLT will double it again to £4.
Why I support World Land Trust
WLT are an amazing charity with a track record of saving threatened habitat for wildlife. They focus on saving land which is of most value in terms of biodiversity and endangered species but is under threat of being destroyed. Their model of providing funding for local conservation organisations to purchase land, ensures the long-term success of their projects, by ensuring the support and involvement of the local population.
A strong influence on my support is Sir David Attenborough, one of WLT’s patrons, who is quoted on the WLT website as saying:
"The money that is given to the World Land Trust, in my estimation, has more effect on the wild world than almost anything I can think of." Sir David Attenborough
This year's Autumn Appeal
This year’s appeal is called ‘Two Threatened Landscapes, One Urgent Mission’ and is the first time that their Autumn appeal will secure land in two continents.
In South Africa, there is an opportunity to allow one of WLT’s partners ‘Wild Tomorrow’ to strengthen a wildlife corridor along the Elephant Coast by securing strategically important habitat before it’s lost. Purchasing the newly available LeMvelo property can extend the Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve and create a new link to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a World Heritage site. The new corridor can be used by many animals, including Elephants (endangered), Black Rhinos (critically endangered), Lions (vulnerable) and Leopards (vulnerable). It also contains sand forest – the rarest forest habitat in South Africa which is home to species found nowhere else. This ancient habitat takes centuries to form and is now critically endangered, with neighbouring areas converted to pineapple fields. The appeal aims to raise £320,644 to save 66.3 ha of land.
LeMvelo Forest: Photo by Chantelle Melzer
LeMvelo Elephant: Photo by Chantelle Melzer
LeMvelo Leopard: Photo by Chantelle Melzer
In Bolivia, money raised will expand the existing Laney Rickman Reserve that protects one of the last strongholds of the critically endangered Blue-throated Maccaw. This would build one of the most amazing conservation success stories. One of WLT’s partner’s in Bolivia, ‘Asociacion Armonia’, has helped the population grow from as few as 50 individuals in 2000 to around 400 today. This has been achieved by securing the birds habitat and providing nest boxes – with over 160 Blue-throated Macaws fledging from the boxes. To build on this success, the reserve needs to be extended, and more nest boxes installed for the expanding population. In the longer term, there will be more mature large trees on the reserve, providing natural nest sites for the Macaws. If not purchased for conservation, the land could be converted to agricultural use. The appeal aims to raise £545,695 to save 636 ha of land.
Laney Rickman Reserve: Credit Sebastian Herzog
Blue-throated Macaw: Credit Armonia
Please see WLT’s website for more details of this appeal:
Sponsored Birdwatch
On 10 October (or soon after if the weather is bad), I will be completing an all-day birdwatch to see as many species as possible between dawn and dusk. This is the nineth year that I have been able to do this, due to the support of my employer – Ecclesiastical (part of the Benefact Group), who have provided over £36,000 of extra matched funding since 2018.
After a gradual increase in species seen in my first five years, from 72 to 92, the last three years have been harder with my species count decreasing to 89 species in 2023 to 82 species last year. If the weather is good, hopefully I can reverse this trend and get close to the 90’s again. Over all years my species count is 124, so another aim will be see something new.
Donations of any size will make a big difference – if I can raise the full £5,000, the matched funding will increase this to £20,000 towards WLT’s appeal.
I will update this page with details of how my birdwatch goes.
Thank you so much for any donations you are able to make.
Andy