HWDT's Big Give Christmas Challenge: Sails for Whales
Citizen scientist volunteers on board Silurian
HWDT's Big Give Christmas Challenge 2017 project, 'Sails for Whales', launches today on #GivingTuesday to raise funds for Silurian. Donations made via The Big Give will be doubled for a limited time, so this is the perfect time to give to HWDT.
Silurian tells an inspiring story of marine research; from filming whales for BBC's Blue Planet in the late 1990's to spending the last 15 years surveying cetaceans and basking sharks off the west coast of Scotland with HWDT. She has surveyed more than 100,000km of Hebridean Seas - where every data point has been collected by a volunteer citizen scientist, a huge dataset that now informs UK marine conservation. Silurian also offers floating classroom workshops and has welcomed aboard thousands of young people for unique learning experiences - inspiring the next generation of marine conservationists.
“‘Silurian is a beautiful emblem for marine exploration and research. It was the vessel from which the BBC’s first Blue Planet series filmed magnificent images of whales, and for the past 15 years it has allowed HWDT to survey and therefore better understand the cetaceans and basking sharks found on the west coast of Scotland. I was lucky enough to join them on board last year, and I was inspired not only by HWDT’s dedication to marine conservation in Scotland but also by the volunteer citizen scientists who help to collect this vital data aboard Silurian, thereby contributing to the protection of this precious marine habitat and its cetaceans. I hope that this crucial work continues for another 15 years, and far beyond.’”
With your help, this winter Silurian will undergo some significant maintenance and needs some new equipment to ensure she is 'ship-shape' for another 15 years+ of marine research.
We are extremely grateful to our pledgers and The Reed Foundation for championing our project, generating a matching pot of £2,200, which means that donations will be doubled until the matching pot is empty! Our ambition is to raise in excess of £4,400.
If you would like to donate to the Sails for Whales project, please follow the link between noon Tuesday 28th November (#GivingTuesday) and noon Tuesday 5th December to ensure your donation is doubled.
Thank you for your support!