Wildlife lovers in Surrey can make a gift with double the impact this Christmas, thanks to an appeal being run by Surrey Wildlife Trust with the backing of the philanthropic Big Give Christmas Challenge. 

Surrey Wildlife Trust’s 100 for Heathlands Campaign – part of its urgent Save Surrey’s Nature appeal – is aiming to raise £100,000 for our county’s rare and threatened heathland environments – habitats that support a huge range of animal and plant life that can’t thrive elsewhere, from Nightjars and Sand Lizards to wildflowers, butterflies and the small-but-ferocious Heath Tiger Beetle.

From Midday on Tuesday 03 December to Midday on Tuesday 10 December 2024, contributions from members of the public up to a total of £25,000 will be doubled by a match funding pot of £25,000, made up of £12,500 from Big Give Champions and £12,500 from pledgers Kia UK – potentially enabling SWT to raise a total of £50,000 towards its target. 

Sadly, more than 85% of Surrey’s lowland heathlands have been lost in the last two centuries, with those that remain requiring careful management to survive the impact of climate change, pollution, the over-growth of dominant plants and excessive development.  As well as working with volunteers, conservation experts and local communities to keep Surrey’s heaths in top condition, SWT wants to create new corridors of good habitat to make Surrey’s landscapes more resilient, help wildlife find safe places to live and prevent the fragmentation of these special places.   

The Trust is even exploring the reintroduction of native species like Beavers, Black Grouse and Red Deer to restore heathland ecosystems to their full potential for wildlife and people, and plans to carry out thorough studies to assess the feasibility of these initiatives.

Surrey Wildlife Trust’s Director of Reserves Management James Herd, who leads conservation work on heaths including Barossa, Pirbright Ranges, Whitmoor Common and Chobham Common says:  

“Helping protect our beautiful local heathlands is a great way to create some good news this Christmas. Nature faces immense challenges, but we have big plans to turn things around. If we all do what we can for the places we care about, we can ensure that wildlife has a secure home for generations to come – and that will be good for every one of us.” 

What your donation can do: 

• £10 helps maintain areas of bare ground on heathland reserves to benefit insects and reptiles. 
• £25 pays for a conservation grazing animal to graze a site for a week, keeping it in good condition for nature. 
• £36 will pay for a habitat survey to ensure we are doing the right thing for particular species. 
• £165 pays for one hectare of heathland management on Whitmoor common. £300 pays for a tree popper, an important piece of equipment for scrub clearance used by Reserve officers and volunteer groups. 
• £1,200 pays for 4 hectares of heathland restoration and management on Chobham common. 

Donations can be made online from Tuesday 03 December at midday.