Last Thursday, among the 602 visitors we had through the doors, came two incredibly inspiring individuals. Jonny Rankin and Robert Yaxley crossed the threshold of the reserve, and in doing so crossed the finish line of a three hundred mile walk in aid of Operation Turtle Dove.
These two inspiring individuals had the dual aim of raising money and raising awareness of the plight of the turtle dove, who's population in the UK has plummeted 93% since the 1970's
Turtle doves are not only an important species in their own right, but they act as an indicator for the health of farmland birds as well as sub-Saharan migrants. Their decline reflects badly on the health of these groups.
The guys kindly delivered an interesting and insightful talk for us, covering both the reasons behind the walk, and the difficulties faced on the walk itself, inspirational stuff! We were also provided with liquid refreshment from the fabulous guys at BlackBar brewery.
To find out more about these guys, the walk, and why they did it, check out their blog dovestep.wordpress.com/ and if you'd like to make a donation to this amazing and worthy cause, have a look at their justgiving page. justgiving.com/DoveStep
I for one can't wait to see what these guys are doing next!