Africa’s Indigenous Peoples and Their Special Role in Adapting to Climate Change'

Our friends at Gaia have a packed events schedule this year with some amazing guest speakers. Here are details of a great talk coming up on 10th April 2008:

You are invited to a special evening on 'Africa’s Indigenous Peoples: Their Special Role in Adapting to Climate Change' with Dr. Nigel Crawhall, Director of the Secretariat for the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPACC). Please find a flyer with directions attached.

Thursday, 10th April 2008

6.30pm Drinks and buffet at Gaia House (18 Well Walk, London, NW3 1LD)

7.30pm Talk and discussion at Burgh House (Opposite Gaia House, New End Square, London NW3)

Nearest tube, Hampstead, Northern Line.

Africa’s indigenous peoples have been pushed ever further into marginal lands over the centuries. But over the last decade they have been linking up into what is becoming a movement of the indigenous peoples of Africa. They are engaged in struggles to protect the last remaining intact forests and other fragile ecosystems, which they have guarded despite external pressures. They have also been participating in United Nations initiatives to recognise the rights of indigenous peoples, challenging the dominant view that development is rooted in industrial agriculture, which, inevitably involves capital-intensive extraction of the Earth’s precious resources.

Dr. Nigel Crawhall will explain how they are helping to create new spaces for dialogue around the relationship between cultural and biological diversity. He will show how the vast and diverse pool of Africa’s cultural knowledge, practices and languages play an essential role in reviving Africa’s biodiversity. Recognising Africa’s rich knowledge and cultural heritage is a vital dimension for any strategy dealing with the challenge of increasing climate instability.

For more information or to book a place, please contact Sarah Nicholl on sarahn@gaianet.org or 02074280055.

A contribution of £10 will be appreciated

Dr. Nigel Crawhall is Director of the Secretariat for the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPACC), a network of 120 indigenous peoples’ organisations covering 20 African countries. He is currently Visiting Scholar at the Institute for Social Anthropology at the University of Tromso, Norway. Nigel has an MPhil in Linguistics from the University of Zimbabwe and a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Back to Basics - a presentation by Quinton Coetzee

We are pleased to bring you news of an opportunity to hear the inspirational Quinton Coetzee speak at the South African High Commission, London, in conjunction with The Mantis Collection:

Back to Basics - San Solutions

South Africa House, Trafalgar Square, London
6:30pm for 7pm Thursday 1Oth April 2008

A 75-minute presentation by Quinton Coetzee for people who want to tap into their natural potential to improve their business skills and performance and gain a better understanding of themselves and others.

Quinton believes that every person is endowed with a deep-seated instinct to survive.. ..SURVIVE AT ALL COSTS AND AGAINST ALL ODDS! His powerful and riveting introduction leads an audience into the fascinating world of a San Bushman Tribe (the Company), their bush environment (the Marketplace), the wildlife on which they thrive (the Clients) and the predators with which they compete (the Competitors).

Using spectacular slides, he illustrates that everyone has dormant or under-utilised business skills. These skills need only to be set free or "unlocked" in order to realise maximum gain, both personally and for the company. In this regard, no-one beats the San. This is how successful business has always been done, is currently being done and will continue to be done. Everyone has the natural ability to do the same! This is the BACK TO BASICS approach.

THE PRESENTATION LOOKS AT THESE IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUES:

* Thriving on teamwork
* The challenge of change
* Knowing your clients
* Creativity and innovation
* Growing your income source
* Vision, strategy and self-motivation
* Adaptability, flexibility and versatility
* Dealing with competitors
* Boosting efficiency, effectiveness and productivity
* Stress and lifestyle management
* Recognising and exploiting hidden opportunities
* Coping with setbacks and adversity
* Complacency
* Work smarter, not harder
* Time management
* The Growth Imperative
* The necessity of training and skill development
* Planning and strategy

This highly energetic, professional presentation not only inspires and
motivates, it enthralls, moves and punches home the reality of personal commitment and survival in the corporate world.

It’s very different and humorous, and its straight-forwardness is invigorating. It will be talked about, recounted and remembered as a unique and fresh approach to business essentials with huge practical value.

PROFILE of QUINTON COETZEE

Quinton was born in the Namib Desert and, having spent most of his young life in the bush, he began his working career as a hunter. He later attained a university degree in the natural sciences after which he specialised in bush survival. Today he is considered one of the leading bushcraft specialists in southern Africa.

Quinton has always had a passion for expeditions. He has explored remote areas from the icy sub-Antarctic to the sweltering deserts of the Middle-East and has spent time with ‘vanishing’ tribes in Africa and in the Amazon jungles.

As a conservationist, he has managed the animal collection for one of the largest Zoological Gardens in Africa, where he was committed to the breeding of many endangered species worldwide. In this regard he is well known for his commentary in print, on air and on television as presenter of the popular South African wildlife programme “Veldfocus” on 50/50. He has
also trained as a classical pianist.

Quinton’s message has universal appeal which has been addressed to audiences worldwide.

For further information or to book your place, please RSVP to louisa@mantiscollection.com Please remember to mention WFUK when contacting them. Thank you.

Events Programme 2008

We now have in place our programme of major events for 2008, but will be supplementing this with extra gatherings throughout the year, so check back regularly for updates!

9th June 2008 Art of Africa Week - WFUK Open Day at the Smithfield Gallery, London

Your chance to enjoy some of the most wonderful art coming out of Africa, as well as meet the WFUK team and learn more about the work that we are engaged in. Come along and say hello to Jo, Richard, Eddie, Sue, Carol and our new Membership and Events Secretary and Education Officer.

11th June 2008 Art of Africa Week - Dinner at the Smithfield Gallery, London

Join WFUK with guest speaker Cameron McNeish for this wonderful dining event, set in one of London's most charming galleries, surrounded by a range of works of art brought to us by some of the most dynamic talent from the continent of Africa.

6th July 2008 British London 10k Run

Join us once again to cheer on the brave souls running through the streets of London to raise money for WFUK. We're delighted to be represented by a team of three from Alladale in Scotland this year, but still have three places available under our debenture. Minimum sponsorsphip to be raised £100 per entrant. Go on - get out and make a difference!

Autumn 2008 - Tranquility Walks

In conjunction with the Stop Stansted Expansion group, we will be running a series of guided walks through the tranquil areas of Essex countryside that will be impacted by the proposed expansion of Stansted Airport.

Winter 2008 - Wilderness Youth Congress, London

Building on our Wilderness Trails Programme, we will be holding our inaugural Wilderness Youth Congress in the Winter of 2008. We will be inviting our current trails participants and alumni to join the Foundation for a day of structured workshops and seminars around the environmental and conservation issues that matter to young people. The event will be rounded off by an evening of celebration with a live band and party atmosphere.

For further information or to register your interest in any of these events, please email the events team

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Nature Writing

We're pleased to bring you details of a writing workshop being presented by The Arvon Foundation in May 2008:


A passion for nature

Experienced writers and lifelong naturalists Mark Cocker and Stephen Moss will guide you through the world of nature writing – how to avoid the clichés while getting across your passion for the subject. The tutors will use examples from their own and others' work and take participants out into the field to experience the subject for themselves.

Start Date:
Monday, 5th May 2008

End Date:
Saturday, 10th May 2008

Stephen Moss has produced many wildlife programmes, including BBC's Springwatch with Bill Oddie. A writer based at the BBC Natural History Unit, he has written several books, including A Bird in the Bush and This Birding Life (both Aurum Press).

Mark Cocker is one of Britain’s foremost writers on nature. His seven books, including Crow Country (Jonathan Cape) and Birds Britannica (Chatto & Windus), deal with modern responses to wilderness, whether found in landscape, human societies or in other species.

For further information please visit The Arvon Foundation website: http://www.arvonfoundation.org/pc274.html

Please remember to mention WFUK when making your enquiry or booking. Happy writing!

Events Update from Gaia

Event News from our Friends at The Gaia Foundation:

Dear friends and colleagues

There are still a few places left for our special event with Dr. Vandana Shiva and Patrick Holden on Monday, 17th March at Hampstead Town Hall Centre.

'Agrofuels, Food Security and Climate: The Case for An Integrated Approach to Climate, Biodiversity and Livelihoods'

The large-scale growing of crops to satisfy our insatiable demand for fuel, and the surge in plantations to offset and ease guilt over the excessive amounts of carbon being produced, are some of the most alarming and false solutions to climate change. The current scenario in agriculture and agrofuels is simply feeding high consumption in some parts of the world, while raising food prices, poverty and hunger in others. What's the alternative? Vandana Shiva and Patrick Holden have convincing arguments for a return to more local economies and livelihoods. They present a workable path to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, and protect our remaining biological and agri-cultural diversity, as we adapt to inevitable changes in climate.


Reserve your seat by booking online at http://www.gaiafoundation.org/learning/online.php

For more information please contact Sarah Nicholl on sarahn@gaianet.org or 020 7428 0055.

Jay Griffiths at Glasgow Book Festival

Renowned author Jay Griffiths will be presenting a talk for the Glasgow Book Festival this coming Saturday, 15th March 2008, on Happiness and the Wild. Jay will be sharing the platform with Oliver James, who will be speaking about affluence and happiness. The sessions is from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Mitchell Library.

Jay's book "Wild : An Elemental Journey" which we co-launched with Gaia last year, will be out for paperback in May and has been longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing. Congratulations to Jay.

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!

Seahorses and Pipefish in the North Sea

The Zoological Society of London is holding a free lecture in their meeting rooms on 12th February 2008 starting at 6:00 p.m. The subject under consideration is "Seahorses and Pipefish in the North Sea".

There has been a rapid and dramatic increase in numbers of snake pipefish occuring in the sea about northern Britain. The reason for this population is currently unclear but will be under consideration during the evening, along with the impact to our seabird breeding colonies in the UK - snake pipefish are now increasingly being seen in their diet, often with detrimental consequences.

Following the meeting, a three course dinner with the speakers is available at a price of £34 per person including two glasses of wine. Booking must be made in advance.

For further information please email: joy.hayward@zsl.org or telephone 020 7449 6227. The ZSL is situated at Regents Park (Outer Circle), London NW1 4RY.

Please mention WFUK when contacting Joy. Thank you.

Discovering People at the RGS

Christine James of the RGS brings us news of an event with may interest our Friends:

Tuesday 5 February at 7.00pm

Discovering people

Rosie Stancer

Join Mary Rhodes, the BBC’s leading female sports news presenter, in conversation with the polar explorer, Rosie Stancer, once described as ‘a cross between Tinkerbell and the Terminator’ to hear about her 700 mile trek across Antarctica, solo trek to the North Pole and her work with the Special Olympics GB.

Tickets: RGS-IBG Members £7, non-Members £10

Available online at www.rgs.org/whatson or by calling 020 7591 3100



The interviews are informal, light-hearted, but at the same time informative and are suitable for all with an interest in polar exploration.



Further details can be found online at www.rgs.org/whatson

As always, please mention Wilderness Foundation UK when responding

Explore at the RGS

This weekend there is a conference at the Royal Geographic Society which covers all things adventure related from small weekend trips to major polar expeditions. There are a series of seminars, stands and a great opportunity to network with adventures, field doctors, insurance specialists, researchers, equipment guru’s – you name it!

http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Fieldwork+and+Expeditions/GO+seminars+and+workshops/Explore+2007/Explore.htm

Gaia Events November 2007

Our friends at Gaia have a busy month of activities planned for November. Here are some details for you:

Resurgence Magazine and Friends of the Earth present: Climate Stability: Addressing the Root Causes rather than just the Symptoms

Wednesday November 7 2007

The Politics of Climate Change: developing an all party approach to mitigate global warming. With Michael Meacher, former Labour Environment Minister; Peter Ainsworth, Conservative Shadow Secretary for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; Chris Huhne, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary; and Siân Berry, Green Party National Speaker.

Tickets on the door: £15.00 per person per event. £30.00 for all three events, concessions £10.00 per event, £20 for all three. Restaurant and bar facilities are available. Accessible for the disabled. RSVP: Peter Lang, Resurgence Events Director peter@resurgence.org or 020 8809 2391. Supported by the Royal Mail.

6.30pm at Cecil Sharpe House, 2 Regents Park Road, Camden, London NW1 7AY


Eco Happiness: Consumerism, Happiness & the Environment

Friday November 9 to Sunday November 11 2007

A series of discussions to consider what realy makes us happy and explore how our consumerist lifestyles are spoiling our lives and our beautiful planet. With Peter Lang of Resurgence Magazine.

To be held at Braziers Park School for Integrative Social Research, Ipsden, Oxon. £160 for the weekend in single room, £135 sharing, including meals.

More information from Braziers Park on 01491 680221, admin@braziers.org.uk
www.braziers.org.uk


School of Economic Science Annual Economics Lecture

The Transformation of Economics: Natural Law, Economics and the Great Jurisprudence

It is easy to point to the many failings of contemporary economics. Climate change, poverty, excess, debt, consumerism and social insecurity are all well documented and widely reported. But what is the alternative? How can economics point the way to a world that offers peace, security, freedom and prosperity to all its inhabitants? Ian Mason, Head of Law and Economics in the School of Economic Science, addresses these questions in this year’s annual lecture.

Hinde Street Methodist Church, 19,Thayer Street, London, W1U 2QJ

Tuesday 13th November 2007, at 7.15 pm

Admission: £5 booked by phone – 020 7034 4000

£6 on the door

The price includes refreshments during the interval.

This is a public lecture to which all are welcome. Please bring anyone who may be interested in these urgent, topical issues and pass the invitation on to anyone who may be interested.

Be the Change

November 15 to 17, 9am - 6pm

An event at which you can really get a sense of what is happening in our world at this time. This very special event has the potential to spark and kindle a profound and deeply positive response. Join businessmen and coaches, politicians and activists, scientists, educators, students and artists – indeed leaders from all fields, as we seek to understand, and implement, lasting change in our world.

Speakers include George Monbiot, writer and campaigner; Prof. C.S. Kiang, renowned Chinese environmentalist; Nicky Gavron, London's deputy mayor; Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition Towns movement; Bianca Jagger, chair of the World Future Council; Miriam MacGillis leading voice on New Cosmology; Jonathon Porritt, Britain's leading sustainability advocate; Simon Kellner, editor of The Independent; Frances Moore Lappé, American author now immersed in the

'living democracy' movement; Vandana Shiva, physicist; and others. Premier of the major new documentary film “Crude”, and live video link to a global alternative

economics thinktank at Schumacher College. Central Hall, Parliament Square, Westminster, London SW1.

Registration: http://www.bethechange.org.uk

Jeevika Lecture 2007: ‘Living Economy, Living Democracy’, by Dr Vandana Shiva

Monday 19th November 2007, 7.30pm

Reith Lecturer in 2000 and founder of the Living Democracy Movement in India, Dr Shiva will argue that the economics and politics of globalisation are proving bankrupt, indeed suicidal, for all but a few of the human species. She will remind us urgently that there is a more balanced, a more sustainable, a more hopeful model for the planet to live by – not only for the earth's 1 billion rural dispossessed (280 million of them in India), but for all of us.

Human Rights Action Centre, Amnesty International, EC2

Tickets (£10, £7 concessions) and full details available from rosemary@jeevika.org.uk

or by calling Rosemary (Monday - Wednesday) or leaving a message on 020 8973 3773


Gaia: Relating the Myth, & the Hypothesis to our Everyday Lives

Thursday 29th November, 7.30-9pm

With Jules Cashford, author of The Moon: Myth and Image (Cassell Illustrated, 2003), and co-author, with Anne Baring, of The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image (Penguin 1993).

Jules read philosophy at St. Andrews and did post-graduate research in literature at Cambridge, on a Carnegie Fellowship, studying for a PhD on Tragedy in the novels of Joseph Conrad. She is a trained Jungian Analyst and member of the International Association of Analytical Psychology. She has translated The Homeric Hymns for Penguin Classics (2003), and now writes and lectures on Myth and Literature.

Drinks and buffet at Gaia House, 18 Well Walk, London, NW3 1LD, from 6.30pm

7.30 pm Talk and Discussion at Burgh House, New End Square, London NW3 1LT. Opposite Gaia House

Nearest tube Hampstead – Northern Line - A contribution of £7 would be appreciated

We do hope you can make it. RSVP to Sarah Nicholl on sarahn@gaianet.org or 020 7428 0055

As always, please mention WFUK when enquiring or booking any of these events. Thank you!

Touching the Earth Fire & Shelter Day

We'd like to bring you news of this new course from our friends at Natural Pathways:

Families Survival Skills and Nature Awareness Day

15th December 07 - 10.00am-3.30pm

On this action packed course, you'll learn:

The ideal type of fire to build. We'll show you a quick and easy way to build a fire that's simple to light - easy to keep going - and burns nice and hot. This is an essential skill to learn.

Where to find and gather an endless supply of DRY firewood... even if it's been RAINING. Even if the ground's wet and damp - you'll know exactly where to look - and WHAT to do - to find DRY wood for a roaring fire.

3 ways to build a "debris" shelter that'll keep you warm... dry... and as "snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug." Once you know these 3 simple shelters - you'll be able to adapt them for use in many situations.

A quick and easy way to light a roaring fire... WITHOUT matches or a lighter. Just by using a special pocket size fire lighting "tool" - you'll never have to worry about losing a gas lighter - or trying to use damp soggy matches - EVER again. We'll show you what this tool is - and more importantly - HOW to use it. It's so simple to use - even when its WET.

Where to find the best and DRIEST tinder... in the most UNLIKELY places. It's easy once you know WHERE to look. Even in wet conditions, it's easy to find dry tinder to start your fire. We'll show you what to look for and how to use it.

The Drum Stalk. Using all your senses to move around the woods - blindfolded to the sound of a drum! This exciting Nature Awareness game will switch you on to experiencing nature in a completely new way.

£17 p.p. - Under 5's Free

Family of 4 - £60

Set in Beautiful Woodlands near Canterbury, Kent

Book on line http://www.natural-pathways.co.uk/touching_the_earth_fire.html

or contact Hannah Tel: 01304 842045 or 07828 316827

Please mention Wilderness Foundation UK when contacting them.

Please Take Part In Our Survey

Dear Friends,

We are busily planning our events and communications for the year ahead. It would very much assist us with our planning if you could take just a few moments to answer our questions about the kind of events, activities and communications you would like in 2008.

Click here to take our survey

Thanks for taking the time to help us.

We hope to see you at an event in the coming year.

Richard, Jackie and the WFUK Team

Treking to the South Pole of Inaccessibility

Wednesday 7th November Troubadour Club London 7pm

£40 including supper

Join explorer Henry Cookson a member of the first British/Canadian expedition to reach the rarely conquered Pole of Inaccessibility. This is the furthest point from the southern oceans in Antarctica. They are the first team to achieve this without mechanical aid. Learn about their experience man hauling and kite skiing essential equipment across 1,700km of wilderness at altitudes of up to 3500m and coping with temperatures of up to -50 centigrade. The Troubadour Club (on Old Brompton Road)has an excellent culinary reputation. Places are limited so book early!

Booking essential -

Contact Jackie - 01245 443073 - Email: jackie@wildernessfoundation.org.uk

Campfire Questions with Graham Game

We grabbed Graham Game, friend of the foundation and a professional environmentalist, for a quickfire round of questions further to Wednesday night’s ‘Climate Change and Essex - Winner or Loser?’ debate:

• What are the most urgent issues facing Essex?

Essex is on the front line as far as the effects of climate change are concerned, and with our long and incredibly fragile coastline, it's sea level rise and then flooding that I'm probably most concerned about, but the face of agriculture is changing too.

We are facing a 2 - 6 degree celsius rise in temperatures, and an increase of up to 20% in winter rainfall. It's also predicted that water levels in the Thames Estuary could rise as much as 86 cm by the 2080's, while there could be a fall of up to 60% in soil moisture levels during summer.

Our rich biodiversity here in Essex is really taking a hammering as our seasons change their patterns due to climate change.

So what are we doing? Building thousands of new homes on flood plains in the Thames Estuary, turning thousands of acres of arable land over to growing non-food crops & looking to almost double our airport capacity.

• What can our local readers do to make a difference?

Here's where I take many people out of their comfort zones: I passionately believe that far too much emphasis is being placed on mitigation & nowhere near enough action is being taken to prepare & adapt for the inevitable effects of climate change here in Essex & the UK.

There simply isn't the time to play around with greenwash. With 1.32 billion Chinese, 1.12 billion Indians & 300 million Americans all hell-bent at achieving economic growth through polluting technologies, even if every one of us 60 million Brits reduced our carbon footprints it would be merely a drop in the ocean.

Set an example? To who? Yes, let's continue to push for sustainable lifestyles, but the real work to be done is adapt to survive. No more building new homes on flood plains. More coastal realignment schemes, more renewable power schemes, but most importantly we need some strong direction & leadership at the top. Finally, don't get sucked in by the Carbon Offset mindset - if you want to salve your conscience when you take your next cheap flight, give £20.00 to The Wilderness Foundation instead.

• Give us a couple of top autumn reads that’ll broaden our mind

Jay Griffiths' book 'Wild' will transport you up the Amazon for some amazing encounters with indigenous shamen, while my friend Jon Symes' superb little book 'Your Planet Needs You' is just inspirational - even for a seasoned old cynic like me!

Thanks Graham! - Graham's website can be found here: greenfuturesconsultancy.com/

Last but not least, here are a few further resources:

• RSA Ted Happold Memorial Lecture: Adapting to a changing coastline in East Anglia - Full lecture and Q&A session (21MB) / Lecture text (PDF)
• OU OpenLearn Module: Managing coastal environments (U216_1): "Coastal environments are by their nature ever-changing. This unit looks at the example of the Blackwater Estuary in Essex, England, describing how the current state of the estuary came to be."
• Notes from the 2006 Chelmsford Challenge: 'Environment vs. Development'

A few external events

Here's a round-up of a few external events we thought our readers might be interested in:

Gaia Foundation

• 15th Sept - The life and vision of Thomas Berry
• 15th-16th Sept - Thames Festival 2007
• 19th Sept - Gaia Evening with Andrew Kimbrell

More detail at http://www.gaiafoundation.org/

Resurgence

Four events on Climate Change:

1. 19 September - The Economics of Climate Change: What is the best economy when the climate is changing?
2. 7 November - The Politics of Climate Change: developing an all party approach to mitigate global warming
3. 16 January 2008 - Food and Climate Change: How food production and consumption needs to change
4. 2 April 2008 - Businesses and Climate Change: how corporations and businesses should adapt to the need for climate stability.

More info at: http://www.resurgence.org/events/

Forthcoming Events Autumn 2007

Our newsletter with forthcoming events has hit in-boxes around the world - to make sure you don't miss out on our mailings, do sign up. To book any of the events - Get in touch.

Climate Change and Essex - Winner or Loser?
Wednesday 12th September - Little Baddow Memorial Hall - Doors open 7.30pm

Two charities, Wilderness Foundation UK and Little Baddow Conservation Society invite you to join us for an evening with Graham Game - "One of Britain's most experienced Environmentalists" to discover the implications for climate change here in Essex. Graham - a professional environmentalist for 30 years has worked on a wide range of campaigns for organizations such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth - promises to give a forthright and controversial analysis of the problems and solutions.
Wilderness Foundation Members £2 Non members £5 include wine


Fundraising Quiz Night Friday 12th October
Widford Lodge School Chelmsford - 7.30pm

Join us for a fun evening of supper and a quiz in aid of Mabandla Village School, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa. This school, in dire need of reconstruction, is part of the Zulu community visited by many of our UK trail participants who spend up to a week as part of a cultural and environmental experience. Future groups (students and adults) will be involved in the rebuilding programme as part of their volunteer commitments.
£10 including supper


Trekking to the South Pole of Inaccessibility
Wednesday 7th November - Troubadour Club London - 7pm

An evening with explorer Henry Cookson, a member of the first British/Canadian expedition to reach the rarely conquered Pole of Inaccessibility, the furthest point from the southern oceans in Antarctica. They are the first team to achieve this without mechanical aid. Learn about their experience man hauling and kite skiing their essential equipment across 1,7000km of wilderness at altitudes of up to 3500m, coping with temperatures of up to -50 centigrade. £40 including supper. The Troubadour Club has an excellent culinary reputation. Places are very limited so book early!

Speaking of Wilderness

We welcome enquiries for speaking engagements on the subject of Wilderness.

Jo Roberts, our director, is a seasoned speaker and debater, whether radio or conference keynote, at local or international level.

Hiker, backpacker, author and broadcaster ...and Wilderness Foundation Trustee, Cameron McNeish, also undertakes such engagements. Here are two of his Wilderness dates for your diary:

Saturday Sept 29: Wild Scotland - A Spirit of Place; Arran Walking Festival, Isle of Arran
Tuesday Oct 2: Wild Scotland - A Spirit of Place; Inverness Book Festival, Eden Court Theatre, Inverness

You can also read The Wilderness World of Cameron McNeish (and find more talk dates + book him directly for your own event) - RSS feed here (if you're new to RSS feeds, watch this superb Common Craft video explaining RSS in Plain English - Then head over and give Google Reader a go and don't forget to add our feed too.

These are just two of the many great speakers we have on hand - Get in touch with our office if you need a passionate Wilderness speaker and we'll find the right person for your audience.

British London 10k Run

Jo and Richard made their way into the heart of London yesterday (Sunday) to cheer on the WF-UK team taking part in this year's British London 10k Run. Undeterred by the rain, they set up their pitch on Westminster Bridge, proudly holding aloft the WF-UK banner and calling out encouragement to the 20,000 people who ran past them during the event.

Congratulations and thanks to Eddie, Maureen, Jamie and Helen who ran for the Foundation, setting an excellent pace and a time to be challenged by the team we enter next year.

Funds raised by the WF-UK team will be directed towards our social programme, Turn Around - the pilot of which is being run in Essex this year. This wilderness-based project will help young people who are seeking to make a positive change in their lives, by undertaking new challenges, learning new skills and making a difference to themselves and the world around them.

For further information about Turn Around contact Eddie Charles at the Foundation or visit our website: http://www.wildernessfoundation.org.uk/turnaround

Passionate Natures: Ecology and The Imagination

WF-UK is pleased to bring you news of a conference later this month which will explore the roles that love, wonder and personal passions for specifies, landscapes and habitats play in our political relations with the natural world:

Passionate Natures: Ecology and The Imagination/ conference 22-24
June 2007

Venue: Rooms G-R 06/07, Faculty of English, West Road, Cambridge

Speakers include: Richard Mabey, Marina Warner, Patrick Wright, R.F.
Langley, Jay Griffiths, Ken Worpole, Miranda Tufnell and Jules
Pretty. There will be a field trip to Wicken Fen.

For further information and the full programme visit http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/events/2006-7/passionatenatures.html

To register for the conference, please contact Anna Malinowska at the
Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities
(CRASSH): apm50@cam.ac.uk or 01223 760487.

Please mention WF-UK when registering. Thank you.