Running the London Marathon for Our Countryside

Emily Guy (right, with fellow runner Hannah Birch)
Plantlife Marathon Runner 2014





Luke, Plantlife Moderator: One of the fantastic ways people can raise money for Plantlife is by running the London Marathon. This year we were blessed with a team of seven runners Emily Guy, Anna Worthington, Hannah Birch, Mike Farrow,  Richard Challis and Zoe Floate. All passed the finish line and we would like to say a big "Thank You". Running the marathon is a huge challenge and we are honoured they chose Plantlife as their cause. Here's Emily's story:

"The London marathon was a challenge I had always wanted to set myself. It would test my mental strength and determination and was something only I could do for myself.

I am lucky enough to have lived in such beautiful parts of Britain and having rowed through my teenage years we spent a great deal of time out in the countryside enjoying the views, waterways and roads in my training.

After leaving school I started working at a garden centre during university, it was here a friend introduced me to Plantlife and the work they do. About two years ago I noticed they had fundraisers running the London Marathon for them. I was in awe of their determination and the money supporters donated.

Last spring, along with some running friends we entered the public ballot; this was potluck so with no idea if we would get a place we decided to ask Plantlife if they would let us run and fundraise for them. Unbelievably they said yes and the challenge was set.

It wasn't plain sailing through the year- between us we broke a foot, broke an ankle, hurt a hip and shoulder and had an assortment of other running related injuries and missed weeks of training. However, the determination to raise money to protect the countryside, wild flowers and our own personal reasons for choosing Plantlife kept us going across the winter. Each training run took us through the countryside and past the plant life we were helping to protect, a daily reminder that it was worth it.

We worked on a basic fitness level first until December when we chose to follow the marathons beginner 17 week plan. It is essentially three runs per week and some cross training if you had time.

Before we got to London we had some amazing donations, more reason to keep going when it got really tough. We are organising a raffle to add to the proceeds and have made jewellery and some Christmas cards which we sold to friends and family. All of this was extra incentive to make sure we made it to the finish line.

Caught on camera! 

Amazingly we all did, exhausted, emotionally wrecked and completely elated I personally made it in 4:34. It was by far the hardest challenge I've done but the most rewarding. The atmosphere is electric and the crowds are cheering for you, the noise is awesome, the sights keep you plodding on and crossing the finish line is the best feeling ever.

A marathon will never be an easy achievement, but it's one I would recommend to anyone and one that will never be taken away."

• You can still help our cause: donate to Emily, Anna and Hannah's fundraising page here.

A Walk Across Mynydd Cilan

Posted by Dave Lamacraft, Plantlife Cymru Lower Plants Officer

Mynydd Cilan on the Lleyn peninsula is a fantastic place for walking with stunning views across Cardigan Bay and the Irish Sea, taking in Bardsey Island, the St. David's peninsula, Cadair Idris, Snowdon and the Lleyn. Unfortunately these views weren't much in evidence when I met ITV Cymru Wales' Coast & Country crew to film for the series recently.

Ifan the director had hatched a plan for presenter Ruth and I to walk some of the coastal path and explore some of the wildlife - the birds, wild flowers and lichens that make Mynydd Cilan so special - along with some of the local mining history. The weather most definitely was not on our side, with a strong wind coming off the Irish Sea to add to the thick mist and persistent drizzle.

The beauty of being on a peninsula in the Irish Sea is that although you do cop some weather, it often changes fairly rapidly, and we were in luck. The mist started to lift and had cleared by the time we reached the trig point, revealing the sweep of Hell's Mouth and Bardsey Island sitting off the western tip of the peninsula.

First stop was one of the old manganese mines that dot the western flanks of the headland. They were most likely 'trial' mines and not worked extensively, unlike the buildings of the old lead mine nearby which suggest  a more intensive operation. The old engine house, and the name of the houses alongside - Cornish Row - hint at the use of Cornish mining expertise.

Mynydd Cilan is one of the best sites for the chough in north Wales, a bird for which Wales is really important; three quarters of the UK's population of this rare bird call it home. We were hoping to film the choughs, and other species such as peregrine, stonechat and linnet, but thanks to the gale force wind, they weren't playing ball for Mark the cameraman; we decided to focus on the plants and lichens.

The heathland of Mynydd Cilan is a special habitat, there is considerably less of it in the world than there is of tropical forest, and it is mostly found on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. Created and maintained by man's interaction with the habitat over hundreds of years it supports a range of rare plants that have evolved to flourish with grazing. Chamomile, a well-known herb, which will most likely have been here for centuries is flourishing on a natural chamomile lawn maintained by grazing sheep and ponies. The muddy edges of the adjacent pond where the ponies disturb the mud provide a home for pillwort and three-lobed water crowfoot. These plants then make more use of the ponies as their seeds hitch a lift in mud stuck to their hooves and are dispersed to other pools and track-ways on the headland.

That changeable weather changed again, and a bit for the worse, as we went to film the golden hair lichen on the cliff top. The wind was howling, making it difficult to hear ourselves, and making it near impossible for Nick the sound man (and chief waffle eater). The golden hair lichen is a rare species of coastal heath in south-western Britain which, ironically, likes 'dry, sunny, warm temperate areas' according to the books. Lichens are pretty robust things, able to survive in some of the harshest environments on the globe, this one even surviving being leant on by Nick's elbow.

It was a long day, but a good day nonetheless. A real eye-opener for me was seeing the crew going about their work with such professionalism, they did an amazing job in some pretty adverse conditions. Hopefully tonight's programme will inspire a few people to get out and look at some of the wild plants and lichens on the Welsh coast, and not worry too much about the weather!

• Dave Lamacraft will be appearing on ITV Cymru Wales on Coast & Country on Friday 6 December at 8pm. For more details visit the website here. 

Nature Check: Where is Defra The Defender?

Posted by Nicola Hutchinson, Head of Conservation Programmes, England and Wales.

Wildlife and Countryside Link and its members, including Plantlife, today launched its third annual report on the Government's progress against its initial claim to be "the greenest government ever".

In previous years the score card had a distinctly "could do better" feel.  Unfortunately there have been few signs of improvement and indeed in some keys areas, such as the England biodiversity strategy, the situation needs urgent attention.

Biodiversity 2020 was launched as the Government's new wildlife strategy in 2011, yet two years on progress with taking real action is achingly slow.  Defra niftily handed responsibility for 'delivering the strategy' to Natural England and it showed in Lord de Mauley's speech at the Nature Check launch; Defra clearly sees itself at a distance from actual delivery as all the biodiversity progress mentioned was in the form of Agency action.  Yet despite the best efforts of Natural England & Co it is too often the case that the barrier to progress is down to a combination of Government departments, Government resources and Government policy.  So it begs the question what positive strides will Defra itself take in the near future to make a contribution to improving species, habitats and ecosystems?

Nature Check asks for strong leadership and this is where Defra must start.  The Government Department with environment in its title should be an environmental champion.  It should have conserving and enhancing wildlife and the environment as its core purpose. Its programmes and projects should lead by example and put increased wildlife at the heart.  It should draw red lines on environmental matters which will not be crossed (yes, even by you, Treasury).  It should not be an apology for wildlife and the environment.  It should be Defra The Defender.  Have you got what it takes?