Children get in-vole-ved!

The RSPB’s 2008 youth fundraiser is launched

Young people across the UK can buy a new home for water voles and other wildlife as the RSPB launches its youth fundraising campaign – the Rainham Marshes appeal.

RSPB Wildlife Explorers, the junior membership of the RSPB, and children across the UK, can this year raise money to buy a new marsh at one of the RSPB’s existing reserves.

The marsh, next to the RSPB’s Rainham Marshes nature reserve, near London, has been unmanaged for years and money raised would help to restore it into a much-needed wetland habitat - home to a wider range of species including water voles, short-eared owls and redshanks. [note 1]

Rainham Marshes’ Nick Bruce-White, said: “Many children might know the water vole as 'Ratty' from The Wind in The Willows, the classic children's story by Kenneth Grahame. Sadly, the water vole is now Britain's fastest declining mammal and is in real trouble.” [note 2]

Rainham Marshes is one of Britain’s most important places for water voles. It has miles and miles of well-managed ditches full of reeds - the water vole's favourite food.

Nick added: “The RSPB is currently hoping to buy even more land at Rainham Marshes, creating a new and improved home for water voles and many other animals, such as wading birds and dragonflies. We are immensely grateful to our young members, who are working hard across the country to raise money to buy this extra bit of land.”

Children are being asked to help raise money to buy the marsh through sponsored activities such as cycling, hopping, running, singing and even sponsored silences.

Every young person who raises money to help the Wildlife Explorers nature reserve appeal will get a certificate and a set of stickers.

Visit www.rspb.org.uk/youth to download a Rainham Marshes sponsor form, money box and other fun stuff.

Alternatively write to: RSPB Wildlife Explorers, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL or email: explorers@rspb.org.uk and the RSPB will send them to you. 

Schools and clubs can also take part in the appeal - special information and fundraising pack, designed especially for schools and clubs will be available in May.  

Notes:

1.   There are only a few ancient landscapes left in London and Rainham Marshes is one of them. Much of the original medieval land-form and marshland wildlife has been preserved and it is now the largest remaining expanse of wetland bordering the upper reaches of the Thames Estuary. The RSPB bought the 870-acre site in 2000. It was opened to the public in November 2006. 

2.   This coming November sees the 100th anniversary of the publication of the Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame’s famous story, which includes a water vole, Ratty, as one of the central characters.

3.   RSPB Wildlife Explorers is the junior membership of the RSPB and has been running for 65 years. In 1943, the RSPB formed The Junior Bird Recorders’ Club, set up for 14 –17 year-olds. Membership cost one shilling (5p) a year and attracted 550 members from 60 different counties across the UK. In 1965, it became the Young Ornithologists’ Club (YOC), open to all young people under 19 and eight years ago changed to RSPB Wildlife Explorers. Today there are over 160,000 members making it one of the biggest wildlife clubs in the world.  For more information, visit www.rspb.org.uk/youth