Employment Opportunity

Charity Membership and Events Administrator

The Wilderness Foundation UK is seeking a part time Membership and Events Administrator. Applicants need to be articulate with excellent customer liaison proficiency, strong secretarial and organisational skills, competency in the use of Word, Excel and databases and a willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends.

The post is 14 hours per week at a rate of £7.50 per hour.

For further information please contact Richard

www.wildernessfoundation.org.uk

Closing Date: Saturday 1st March 2008

Registered Charity Number 1118493

Save Our Scenic Morray

The SOS Morray website highlights the concerns of a group of people who fear that the development of a number of windfarm sites across North East Scotland will not only be detrimental to wildlife and landscape, but also prove to be inefficient in generating renewable energy.

The website lists the many windfarms already operational in Morray, as well as those in development and urges concerned individuals and communities to action, registering their objections with the relevant authorities in a bid to protect this beautiful and wildlife rich area.

The most urgent campaign sited is that around Glenkirk Wind Farm which is subject to a current planning application before the Scottish Executive.

If you are an interested party and wish to register an objection to this application, you can download a prepared document at:

http://www.sosmoray.org.uk/glenkirk_objection.doc

The Wilderness Foundation UK strongly supports the drive towards stabilization and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with Kyoto and other accords.

However an overview is urgently required - of wind farm location policy and energy strategy in general. This should incorporate evidence from other countries further advanced in wind power installation, such as Denmark and Germany .

Six Policy Pointers

• Onshore wind farms should be permitted only in landscapes already incorporating a significant level of built development and/or otherwise lacking aesthetic value. Greater emphasis should be directed towards micro-technology installations rather than giant turbine farms.
• The Foundation opposes the location of wind farms in areas where landscape is currently of wild, open, attractive or otherwise unspoilt aspect.
• Much greater emphasis should be applied to offshore locations, providing these do not despoil wild coastlines or marine environments – and where no significant concerns arise based on experience of similar locations already established.
• Planning permission for any wind farm should be preceded by a full Environmental Impact Assessment providing assurance on bird mortality, human health, landscape intrusiveness, and, where relevant, marine environment and coastal geomorphology. The long-term impact on local livelihoods and property values must also be taken into account.
• The underlying economics of the situation should be carefully reviewed. How much saving in greenhouse gas emission can be gained for a given level of investment in wind power as against other approaches? What are the relative cost-benefits of wind farms?
• There is a need to develop a coherent measure of the value of wildlands and landscape. Using maps of existing and prospective wildland, it should be feasible to devise an alternative location strategy that can be effectively represented on commercial as well as more traditional grounds.

What can you do?

By becoming a Friend of WFUK you can help us to highlight the issues around renewable energy development and enable us to continue to work for wilderness, wildlife and people.

Team Alladale enter the British London 10k Run

The Wilderness Foundation UK is delighted to announce that the Alladale Wilderness Lodge & Reserve from Scotland has kindly stepped forward to take up the challenge of running for Wilderness in this years British London 10k Run.

Team Alladale comprises General Manager, Hugh Fullerton-Smith, Lodge Manager Neil Lawson and Head Chef Kenny Telfer.

We're delighted to be associated with Alladale Lodge once again and thank them for supporting the Wilderness Foundation UK in this fundraising venture.

The team will be raising funds to enable the Wilderness Foundation UK to continue to deliver wilderness-based programmes, such as The TurnAround Project which works with vulnerable youth to equip them with the life skills that they need to make a positive start on the journey into adulthood.

You can support us and Team Alladale by sponsoring them online. Please visit:

http://www.justgiving.com/teamalladale

Why not consider coming down to London on Sunday 6th July and cheering the team on? We hope to meet you then!

Subscribe to the International Journal of Wilderness

Now in its 13th year of publication, this multi-disciplinary journal is a product of the cooperation between WILD and other pre-imminent institutions such as the Universities of Idaho and Indiana, the Aldo Leopold Research Institute, and the State University of New York. Sponsorship is provided by leading NGOs and federal government agencies active in wilderness conservation. It presents the latest in wilderness management, research and recreation, while also covering related issues on the sustainability of wildlands internationally, community involvement in protected areas, and policy issues.

IJW is the tool of choice for wilderness managers and advocates. Every issue contains peer-reviewed articles and feature presentations from numerous countries, as well as a Wilderness Digest, book reviews and illustrations.

Click here for subscription info.

Course : Wilderness Medical Training

For those of you with an interest in expedition and fieldwork activities, the Royal Geographical Society with IBG are offering the following course:

Wilderness Medical Training

Saturday and Sunday 8-9 March

Organised with Wilderness Medical Training, this course starts where conventional First Aid stops. Designed for small expedition groups, solo travelers, media, climbers, trek leaders/teachers, yachtsmen or anyone operating in remote areas where medical help is not readily available.

Student rate: £188.00, Standard rate: £265.00. Price includes lunch, refreshments, course notes and materials but not accommodation.

Bursaries
A limited number of student bursaries of £50 are available. See booking form for more details and to apply.

For further information and to book please visit : http://www.rgs.org/WhatsOn/

Perthshire Wind Farm Gets Go-Ahead

The last day of January was a landmark date for the people of Perthshire, as the third-largest wind farm in Scotland, due to be constructed in rural Perthshire, was granted consent to proceed.

The application has been subject to much opposition from public and conservation organisations alike, who feel that the natural landscape will be harmed by the erection of a new wind farm, despite the perceived benefits of the creation of such a new energy generating facility. Perth and Kinross Council had previously rejected the application due to public opposition, however a public inquiry was then held, with the final decision on approval coming down to Ministers.

Jim Mather, energy minister said:

"The wind farm will have the capacity to meet electricity demand for more than 100,000 homes, a further demonstation of Scotland's renewable energy potential"

Griffin wind farm, to be located near Aberfeldy will comprise 68 turbines each 124 metres tall.

Further information available from: http://www.greenpowerinternational.com/griffin.html

The Wilderness Foundation UK continues to monitor the development of wind farm sites across the British Isles. We maintain our position that wherever possible, turbines should be located either in landscapes already containing a substantial built element or in offshore areas of of sight of unspoilt coastlines.

If you feel strongly about this issue, please email the Wilderness Foundation UK at windfarms@wildernessfoundation.co.uk