'Life is a Glorious Adventure - Journeys into the unknown'

This is the title of the presentation I am giving as part of my 80th birthday celebrations. I am making it a fund-raising event to support the two Cornwall Wildlife Charities I am most involved with, Cornwall Wildlife Trust (CWT) and Friends of The Towans (FOTT). The evening will also include a savoury buffet, courtesy of my generous brother-in-law, an auction, a dessert and cake buffet, courtesy all ( or some) of you and a dance.

Crossing the Himalays on foot.

I have been volunteering for Corwall Wildlife Trust (CWT) via their Dynamic Dunescapes Project for a couple of years, mostly in the wonderful Towans, the dune complex between Godrevy and Hayle. With them I am honing my field identification skills and learning a variety of survey techniques.Through this I began volunteering with Friends of the Towans (FOTT) in practical conservation projects on the ground. Out of all this The Towans Recording Group, a project close to my heart, has emerged to support FOTT in their management of the Towans through survey and recording work.

Giving my time to help our endangered environment, our threatened Cornish wildlife, in whatever ways I can, has given me a new lease of life. It has brought me immense satisfaction, much joy and many new friends. I am looking forward to my eightieth decade diving ever deeper into the wonders and mysteries of nature with our fledgling recording group. Both CWT and FOTT will be supporting the group in various ways and through donating to them you will be supporting my heart project and my new lease of life.

Please give generously.

Autumn Ladies Tresses, Upton Towans. The first survey The Towans Recording Group carried out independently in late September to early October 2023, recording thousands of a plant of which only a few hundred had been recorded previously.