I'm turning 30 and to celebrate I've set myself a serious challenge; running a marathon. As part of this I would like to raise money to support the Borneo Nature Foundation. The Borneo Nature Foundation is a not-for-profit conservation and research organisation. BNF work to protect some of the most important areas of tropical rainforest, and to safeguard the wildlife, environment and indigenous culture on Borneo. Throughout their programmes (including the Orangutan Tropical Peatlands Trust) they support and empower community-led initiatives to protect forest and biodiversity, including anti-logging patrols, fire-fighting teams, environmental education, and the replanting and restoration of damaged forests. 

All their field programmes include high-quality scientific research as a basis for protecting and managing forests, and they have particular expertise in monitoring the distribution, population status, behaviour and ecology of Borneo’s flagship ape species; the endangered orangutan and southern Bornean gibbon. They provide training and capacity building for local students, researchers and conservation-area managers, and work with a number of local partners to implement successful conservation projects.

BNF carry out amazing work in a very challenging and urgent field. As someone who works in peatland restoration I understand how important these sites are both to biodiversity and in terms of climate change. And more than that I don't want to be a part of the generation that saw the last of the wild organutans disappear from this amazing place. Please donate to help keep that from happening. For every pound donated I'll be adding 10p to the pot.

To raise further funds for BNF I will be holding a charity picnic at Marbury country park, Cheshire, on Sunday 10th September. Anyone welcome. There will be food, fun and games. Let me know if you'd like to come.

If you'd like to follow my progress through my training I will be posting up three blogs throughout the run up to my marathon. The first is below.

https://ayearoffirstsblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/14/marathon-training-1/