Countdown to Christmas
Friday 30th November 2012
Adam & Joe Henson at the unveiling of Greystone's Single Gloucester Cheese
With Christmas creeping ever closer, last-minute gift-buyers can show consideration for UK nature conservation by opting for food-related fayre from The Wildlife Trusts.
Festive froth
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust has teamed up with Tunnel Brewery to produce an exciting range of beers. Tunnel donates 10p per bottle sold to help fund the Trust’s work for nature conservation across Warwickshire, Coventry & Solihull. Tottering Otter, Tipsy Toad & Special Shrew are available in a Christmas gift box for just £8.
Buy online through www.tunnelbrewery.co.uk or directly from Brandon Marsh Nature Centre near Coventry.
Wildlife-friendly cheese
In partnership with local farmer Simon Weaver, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust has developed Greystone’s Single Gloucester Cheese, becoming one of only seven producers in the world.
Cattle grazing the land results in rich wildflower meadows - supporting bees, insects, invertebrates, brown hares, mice and voles - and sales lead to donations to Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.
This cheese has a Protected Designated Origin (PDO) which means it can only be made in the county using milk from herds containing Gloucester cattle. The cheese costs £12 per kg and can be bought at various Farmers’ Markets throughout the Cotswolds. For more information, visit www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/cheese
Cattle grazing the land results in rich wildflower meadows - supporting bees, insects, invertebrates, brown hares, mice and voles
Beneficial beef
Grazing for wildlife is at the heart of a new partnership between Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and Old Yarr Estates near Redditch. The conservation charity and grazier have teamed up to produce wildlife-friendly beef boxes. This partnership helps create new wildlife-rich spaces for the future and ensures the survival of rare breed traditional Hereford cattle.
Each beef box contains 10kg beef and includes a selection of cuts including steaks, joints and sausages. For every box sold at £85, Old Yarr Estates donates £5 to Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. For more information about the scheme, visit www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/wildlife-friendly-beef-boxes. For information on ordering phone 01527 894167, call in to the Old Yarr Farm Shop in Astwood Bank or visit www.oldyarrestates.co.uk/butchery/wildlife-friendly-beef. Free delivery for orders made within 20 miles of Old Yarr Estates.
Christmas carvings
Hand-carved spoons and spatulas made from a variety of hardwoods to hazel reindeer ornaments offer the perfect gift from The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. With the Garden Reindeer and House Reindeer, you’ll have lots of help pulling the sleigh this winter!
Garden Reindeers (£18, 18" to shoulder) are available for collection from The Nature Centre in Tondu near Cardiff. The House Reindeer (£8.50, 6” to shoulder) is available from the centre and via post (plus £5 p&p). For more information, contact Paul Thornton at p.thornton@welshwildlife.org or 01656 724100.
Notes for editors:
Images are available with this release. Please contact Kai Sanders on 01636 670057 or ksanders@wildlifetrusts.org
Picture caption:
Rare breed advocate, local farmer and television presenter Adam Henson 'made the first cut' of the cheese along with his father, Joe Henson. Both were instrumental in the purchase of Greystone’s Farm nature reserve and launched the partnership at the Moreton-in-Marsh Show.
The Wildlife Trusts (TWT) wildlifetrusts.org
There are 47 individual Wildlife Trusts covering the whole of the UK. All are working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone. We have more than 800,000 members including 150,000 members of our junior branch Wildlife Watch. Our vision is to create A Living Landscape and secure Living Seas. We manage around 2,300 nature reserves and every year we advise thousands of landowners and organisations on how to manage their land for wildlife. We also run marine conservation projects around the UK, collecting vital data on the state of our seas and celebrating our amazing marine wildlife. Every year we work with thousands of schools and our nature reserves and visitor centres receive millions of visitors. Each Wildlife Trust is working within its local communities to inspire people about the future of their area: their own Living Landscapes and Living Seas.
Tunnel Brewery
Tottering Otter, Tipsy Toad & Special Shrew ales will appear on Tunnel Brewery’s website by 7 December. If you would like more information about them, contact the Brewery on 024 7639 4386 or 024 7639 6327.
Online shop
Books and DVDs to celebrate The Wildlife Trusts’ centenary are available from the online shop at www.wildlifetrusts.org/shop.
With more than 500 stunning photographs, maps and fascinating ephemera, Wildlife in Trust charts the changing fortunes of the local nature conservation movement founded to protect UK wildlife. Author Tim Sands recounts stories of local activism, visionary leaders, hard-fought campaigns, organisational growing pains and battles lost and won. Paperback: £25; Hardback: £50.
A documentary of the story of The Wildlife Trusts so far is also available on DVD for £7.99. Sir David Attenborough, Simon King and others take you on a remarkable journey through 100 years of vision, hard work and natural beauty.
Christmas cards and calendars
Many Wildlife Trusts sell a range of Christmas cards and calendars to raise funds for their conservation work. Christmas cards usually feature winter scenes and UK wildlife. Many Trusts sell calendars showcasing the work of local photographers featuring local places and wildlife. The easiest way to see what’s on offer is to visit individual Wildlife Trust websites via www.wildlifetrusts.org/yourlocaltrust