Andy Langley is a wildlife enthusiast, who for the last seven years has completed an annual sponsored birdwatch to raise money for World Land Trust (WLT).
Each year, money raised up to £5,000 is matched by his employer, Ecclesiastical Insurance (part of the Benefact Group), and multiplied again as part of WLT’s Big Match Fortnight. This year’s Autumn Appeal will start on 1 October and will be raising money to save irreplaceable forests and wetlands in South America.
All donations made between 1 -15 October 2025, up to his £5,000 target, will be doubled by Ecclesiastical and then tripled by WLT, resulting in donations being multiplied 6 times!
Here is a link to Andy’s JustGiving page, which will be updated with full details of the appeal on 1 October.
Big Match Fortnight
This year I’m writing my guest blog a couple of weeks before Big Match Fortnight has launched. I’ve been given a sneak peek of some of the details of this year’s Autumn Appeal to share with you in advance of its launch on 1 October.
The most exciting news that I can share is that this year’s appeal is going to be the biggest yet, aiming to raise over £2,000,000. As always, WLT will be working with one of their established conservation partners to secure the future of an area of land of particular conservation importance. The protection of this land in South America is crucial due to the worsening threats to habitats and wildlife in the region.
Why I support World Land Trust
The main reason that I support WLT is that it is that they have such a simple way of enabling donations to have a significant impact. They provide funding for local conservation organisations, who know the land best, to buy and protect the most threatened areas. Working with local communities is always a key element of their appeals, to gain their support and ensure long-term success.
The huge task of conserving the natural world always feels daunting, but I find it reassuring that WLT select projects that have the greatest impact, focusing on the most biodiverse areas that are under the greatest threat. This often involves choosing projects where purchasing land unlocks benefits over a much wider area, which is also true of this year’s project.
Although saving wildlife rich habitat is motivation enough, I always love to know that WLT’s appeals will help species that are specifically in need of help. This year’s appeal is no exception. The area that will be protected is home to extraordinary species, many of which are Critically Endangered or exist nowhere else in the world. This includes charismatic primates, stunning birds and unique wetland species. I’ll add details and photos to my JustGiving page once the appeal has started on 1 October.
The final reason for my support, which I always quote on my JustGiving page, is the view of their long-standing patron Sir David Attenborough, who has said this:
“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.”
I can’t think of a better endorsement than that – if you would like to hear even more of Sir David’s thoughts on World Land Trust, see this inspiring 5-minute YouTube video – David Attenborough: What can I do?
This year’s sponsored birdwatch
As in previous years, my dawn ‘til dusk birdwatch will be around Gloucestershire, trying to see as many bird species as possible, without clocking up too many car miles. After a gradual increase in species seen in my first five years, from 72 to 92, the last few years have been harder decreasing to 89 species in 2023 and 85 species last year. Hopefully I can reverse this trend and get back into the 90s. Over all years my species count is 120, so another aim will be to increase my all-year species count.
I’m aiming to complete my birdwatch on 3 October, unless I need to delay it slightly due to bad weather. I’ll update my JustGiving page with pictures from the day and will also be posting updates on Bluesky (@langers77.bsky.social), X (@Langers_77) and Instagram (langers_77). With my social media reach of 134 people across all these social media platforms, I could really do with some help letting people know about my fundraising!
If you would like to support World Land Trust, please see my JustGiving page when Big Match Fortnight goes live on 1 October. Every year I am so grateful that people continue to sponsor me and help make the most of the amazing, matched funding opportunity. Over the last seven years my employer, Ecclesiastical Insurance, have matched over £31,000 of donations, which when combined with Big Match Fortnight matching and additional boosts through Gift Aid means that over £150,000 has been raised for World Land Trust. None of this would be possible without everyone’s generous support.
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