Environment charities and the economy.

[Wild-Woman]

As the big belt tightening process happens with the economy, the environment charities are going to be hit hard too, I fear. With the cost of everything rising, folk will, I've no doubt, have to withdraw their support from these organisations.
The only way we can help out, if indeed we are able to, during this bleak time, is by doing a bit of volunteer work to keep reserves and areas for wildlife, 'ticking over'.
What's you thoughts? Can we throw wildlife a lifeline?

[ron1863]

I would be more than happy to devote some of my time, if there was volunteer work in my area.
At present the Forestry Commission has bought thousands of acres of land and forest in a natural beauty spot near me, which they are turning into a natural wildlife area and hopefully they will need volunteers with tree planting, path making etc. sometime in future.

Ron

[lol geoff]

It's unfortunate fact of life that it's a lot easier and less time consuming to donate money than it is to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in. I hope the current ecconomic climate dosen't effect the good work the charities do, and that more people do volunteer. I also hope that if funds are dwindling the higher echelons take steps to reduce their costs aswell.

[Gill Catton]

well my charitable memberships add up to so little per month I'd have to be really desperate to cancel them.

I'm likely to become self employed within the next year and then I am likely to have more time on my hands and will certainly get involved in this sort of thing - has to be more fun than going to the gym!!

[nightshade]

I have just pruned my charities to Wildlife Trust, Bat Conservation Trust and
Woodland Trust

[vole-woman]

Maybe, because going for walks, birdwatching etc are free activities, there'll be a new surge of interest in nature?

If the man-in-the-street was more tuned into the need to look after the environment, that would go a long way to making up for lost charity revenue. Just a thought.

[stripee]

I think pruning them to the ones that are the most important as says nightshade, also paying by d/debit monthly. I find this less painful than paying in a lump usually in Jan when no money left, and volunteering as well of course.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

I'm likely to become self employed within the next year and then I am likely to have more time on my hands and will certainly get involved in this sort of thing - has to be more fun than going to the gym!!

when you do gill give me a call/ email/ pm - you live right in the middle of our area of opperations so we'd almost certainly have somethingyou could do nearby

[Paul mabbott]

At the risk of being contentious (moi? ), I don't think that reduced revenue would be all that bad a thing for some organisations: I often feel that if you give them more money, they do more tidying up, build more paths, install more sculpture etc. I much prefer the Woodland Trust system - take the money, buy more woods, if there are no woods then buy the land and plant some trees! So they might miss out if the money dries up. Even there I thing there is scope for saving money - for instance, if you have ex-farmland next to a wood then you don't need to plant, within a few years the area will naturally succeed to woodland. If there's no nearby wood then import a few acorns and other seeds ...

I'm less bothered about the financial aspect of subscriptions (at the moment - I've been promised a large cheque from the neice of a former president of an oil company in Uzbekistan) but increasingly concerned about the vast amounts of printed paper all these organisations send out ... I don't think they're 'environmentally friendly' but, anyway, I have no time to read it all or space to save it in ....

[Flighty]

Coincidentally I just started a similar thread allied to this very issue. I am considering joining the Friends of the Lake District and doing some voluntary work with them but as my funds and time are short I need to know that I am putting it to the best use. Something that I think people will be more faced with as they tighten their proverbial belts

I was therefore asking if anybody had any thoughts or experience of them so that I could make my mind up once and for all - any comments?

[eeyore]

to be honest - no disrespect to FLD- if you want volunteer experience with a view to gaining employment you are better off with cumbria wildlife trust , national trust, RSPB, or possible hadrians wall national trail. all of whom are bigger organisations more likely to give a decent "return" on your time

Cumbria Wildlife Trust - Volunteering and learning

National Trust | North West | Volunteering

The RSPB: Near you

Trail Volunteers - Hadrian's Wall Path - National Trails

[owlmomma]

Well I have to say, I am grateful for any help I can get...financial or voluntary...have to say though, I don't get much of either

I am having the busiest year yet for rescues, I have been innundated all year with no end in sight, still got tinies coming in!

Anyone in Norfolk?