NICOLA HUTCHINSON FROM PLANTLIFE—SPEAKS OF WONDERFUL FUNGI

View this email in your browser Donate Join Shop Hi John, Fungi are everywhere. In our woodlands. In our grasslands. Beneath our feet. They help grow our food, store carbon, recycle nutrients and support more than 90% of the world’s land plants. Quite simply, our planet wouldn’t be green without fungi. Yet there is a shocking imbalance in the way we protect the natural world - for every £500 spent on protecting nature, less than £1 goes towards understanding and protecting fungi. It’s a funding gap nature can no longer afford. You can help by donating today. Fill this funding gap Fungi have spent too long in the shadows. And as habitats disappear and climates change, species risk being lost before we even know they exist. But right now, we have a rare opportunity to change their future. Next week, we’ll be at COP17 in Armenia to launch the world’s first Global Strategy for Fungal Conservation, developed with leading international experts. It’s an important step towards putting fungi firmly on the global conservation agenda. But a strategy alone won’t save fungi. We need the resources to transform knowledge and ambition into action. Your gift of £20 could help make that happen. Help bring fungi out of the shadows By giving a gift today, you can help: Turn scientific knowledge into conservation action Enable vital research into rare and threatened species Increase our understanding of fungi by growing campaigns such as Waxcap Watch For millions of years, fungi have quietly supported life on Earth. Now they need champions willing to stand up for them. We are racing to save an extraordinary kingdom we barely understand. Please donate £20 today and help make sure fungi are no longer forgotten. Donate to help fungi Thank you for giving fungi a future. Best wishes, Nicola Hutchinson Chief Executive P.S. For every £500 spent protecting nature, less than £1 goes towards fungi. Your donation today can help close this gap and bring the hidden kingdom out of the shadows. Small reddy orange ruby elfcup on dark background Image: Ruby Elfcup Sarcoscypha coccinea References: Fungi support more than 90% of the world’s land plants For every £500 spent on protecting nature, less than £1 goes towards understanding and protecting fungi. Globally, fungi receive 0.16% of funding spent on protecting nature. This appeal represents Plantlife’s work to create a world rich in plants and fungi. Your gift will help support work from protecting habitats and species to campaigning for policy change and working in partnership with people. Your gift will be used in the most effective way possible to make a difference to nature. We can only continue our conservation work through the generosity of supporters like you. Follow Plantlife on: Instagram Instagram Facebook Facebook YouTube YouTube LinkedIn LinkedIn Website Website Copyright © Plantlife All rights reserved. Plantlife International is a charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered Charity in England and Wales (1059559) & Scotland, (SC038951) Registered Company in England and Wales (3166339) Registered Office: Brewery House,36 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2AP, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1722 342730 enquiries@plantlife.org.uk www.plantlife.org.uk Plantlife respects your privacy. You can read more about how and why we use your personal data at www.plantlife.org.uk/privacy-notice Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list here. If you would no longer like to receive emails about fundraising appeals, please respond to this email and we'll update your record.

SPINEY SEAHORSES FROM MARINE CONSERVATION

Marine Conservation Society logo View in browser Donate Spiny seahorse No stomach means food passes quickly through its body An adult spiny seahorse eats 30-50 times a day. How much do you think a seahorse fry (baby seahorse) eats? Take a guess > A tiny juvenile spiny seahorse has its tail wrapped around a piece of vivid green seagrass Credit: Georgie Bull Hi John, As an ocean-lover, you'll probably already know that the male spiny seahorse becomes pregnant - they fertilise and look after the eggs in a pouch and can carry up to 2000 babies at a time. But did you know these other fascinating facts? They can change colour to match their environment! Although typically yellow or light green in colour, they can change their shade to better blend in with their environment, usually seagrass, to hide from predators. Despite their unique look with soft spines and upright posture, they're actually fish as they have a swim bladder and fin. Favourite fact: They're quite rare and are mostly found in seagrass off the South Coast of England - they're one of only two seahorse species found in the UK. Learn more about the spiny seahorse > Have you ever spotted a spiny seahorse? If you have, I'd love to hear your best tips - it's on my list to try and see one in real life if I can! Staff member Amy is smiling at the camera wearing a light pink jumper. Amy Digital Channels Manager In the background is some bright green seagrass. Overlaid on top of the seagrass photograph is a smaller photograph of a spiny seahorse clinging to seagrass with its tail. Credit: Seahorse - Georgie Bull, Seagrass - Heather Hamilton Super seagrass Seagrass is more effective at absorbing carbon than an equivalent area of rainforest. It's also a vital habitat for spiny seahorses, which is why we're planting 10,000m² of seagrass in the next three years. With a little of your help John, we can give the ocean’s most devoted dads somewhere safe to raise their young. Donate now > Facebook logo Threads logo Instagram logo LinkedIn logo Bluesky logo Contact Us General 01989 566017 info@mcsuk.org Membership membership@mcsuk.org Beach cleans beachwatch@mcsuk.org Fundraising fundraising@mcsuk.org The Marine Conservation Society is the UK charity dedicated to protecting our seas, shores and wildlife. Marine Conservation Society | Company Limited by Guarantee (England and Wales) No. 2550966 Registered Charity No. England and Wales No. 1004005 | Scotland No. SC037480 VAT No. 321 4912 32 Registered Office: Overross House, Ross Park, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 7US. Scottish Office: CBC House, 24 Canning Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EG. Contact us | Privacy policy | Unsubscribe

FROM AMY AT MARINE LIFE CONSERVATION

Marine Conservation Society logo View in browser Donate today Short-beaked dolphin "Bow-riding" by boats since ancient Greek times Spend a mindful minute with an acrobatic, playful, sociable dolphin. Watch the video > Three bottlenose dolphins swimming together in a bright blue sea Hi John, Meet the common short-beaked dolphin - a playful treat to brighten up your inbox and give you a moment to pause. These fast, super‑social dolphins are often seen racing alongside boats in UK waters. It’s one of the most eye‑catching cetaceans around our coasts - have you ever spotted a pod? They have a distinctive two-tone appearance with cream/light grey colouring to the sides and belly, and dark grey colouring on top. They're also a bit shorter than a bottlenose dolphin, with an average length of between 1.8-2.5m long. Fun fact: Common dolphins ride alongside boats for a few reasons, including using the boat as a way to swim with less friction, shed dead skin or parasites, but also...simply for fun! These dolphins have been known to do this for centuries, even the ancient Greeks documented it. Learn more about the common dolphin > Do you have any fun facts about short-beaked dolphins? I'd love to hear them! Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Staff member Amy is smiling at the camera wearing a light pink jumper. Amy Digital Channels Manager P.S. want to know which unseen species helps the common dolphin? Scroll down! In the top section of the image there is a photograph of a beautiful common dolphin breaching the water's surface. Underneath that is a picture of lots of native oysters, which help filter the water common dolphin's need to thrive. Native oysters to the rescue Common dolphins need clean water to thrive. Native oysters can filter up to 200 litres of water a day, removing harmful pollutants. Restoring oysters will help create cleaner, healthier seas. We want to grow 1 million oysters by 2030. John, please can you help us? Yes, I'll donate > Facebook logo Threads logo Instagram logo LinkedIn logo Bluesky logo Contact Us General 01989 566017 info@mcsuk.org Membership membership@mcsuk.org Beach cleans beachwatch@mcsuk.org Fundraising fundraising@mcsuk.org The Marine Conservation Society is the UK charity dedicated to protecting our seas, shores and wildlife. Marine Conservation Society | Company Limited by Guarantee (England and Wales) No. 2550966 Registered Charity No. England and Wales No. 1004005 | Scotland No. SC037480 VAT No. 321 4912 32 Registered Office: Overross House, Ross Park, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 7US. Scottish Office: CBC House, 24 Canning Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EG. Contact us | Privacy policy | Unsubscribe

BIRD LIFE INTERNATIONAL IN MIGRATION

View email in browser Hi John, To celebrate World Migratory Bird Day we're excited to share Global Flyways, a new digital series with Content With Purpose, that brings together scientists, conservationists, communities, organisations and local voices to reveal the global effort to protect migratory birds. Filmed across five continents, the series comes at a critical moment. Our recently published State of the World's Birds report shows that 45% of migratory bird species are in decline. Watch conservation in action All of our work forever shows that nature does not stop at a border, and neither should the people defending it. It's why today we also want to share that we're so close to reaching one million signatures towards our #HandsOffNature petition that we launched last year. It is asking people everywhere to speak up for the laws that protect Europe's wild places, and we've got 12 days left. Weakening the protections for Europe's nature breaks a chain that stretches across continents, and biodiversity everywhere depends on every link in it holding. I'll sign to say #HandsOffNature Feeling inspired and want to do more to help birds? Mark the 8th May 2027 in your diary to take part in BirdLife's Race to Save Birds Challenge. You can find out more and sign up early here, or stay tuned to hear more. Best wishes, BirdLife International Supporter Care Team Instagram Facebook YouTube Website You are receiving this email because you opted-in to hear from BirdLife International Image credit: Common Cranes © 2016 MstudioG, Shutterstock BirdLife International is a registered charity 1042125 Address: BirdLife International The David Attenborough Building Pembroke Street Cambridge CB2 3QZ UK For full details on how we collect, use and store your personal information see our Privacy Policy. update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Copyright © 2026, All rights reserved.

FROM EMMA—LEAGUE AGAINST CRUEL SPORTS

Banner Dear John Your compassion for animals is helping bring us closer to a world where they are no longer hunted or harmed for so-called ‘sport’. Your continued commitment as a member of the League also remains critical to driving our work forward. I am pleased to write to you today to announce a new opportunity to help shape our work. For the first time, Members can put forward motions for consideration at the 2027 AGM via a new, improved process. This process gives you an opportunity to put forward ideas, share suggestions and influence the direction of the organisation. If you have a proposal or suggestion you would like Members to consider, now is the time to take action. Find out more about submitting a motion for the 2027 AGM: How to Submit a Motion Image The webpage explains the motions process, including what a motion is, how to submit one and the key deadlines to be aware of. Your voice matters. By putting forward a motion, you can help ensure the issues that matter most to you and to animals are heard. The closing date for motions submission is 31 December 2026. Thank you for being part of a community committed to protecting animals from cruelty in the name of ‘sport’. With thanks, Signature Emma Slawinski Chief Executive League Against Cruel Sports, New Sparling House, Holloway Hill Godalming, GU7 1QZ www.league.org.uk Telephone: 01483 524 250 © 2026 League Against Cruel Sports Registered Charity in England & Wales (No.1095234) and Scotland (No.SC045533) You are receiving this email as you are a member of League Against Cruel Sports and we need to keep you informed about any changes to our membership process. unsubscribe view this email in your browser. supporter

FROM THE HUNT SABOTEURS—IT’S WHAT WE ARE UP AGAINST WITH THE LIKES OF A FORMER PRIME MINISTER

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter David Cameron Defends Trail Hunting: Four Days Later The Heythrop Kill A Fox On 14 September 2026, former Prime Minister David Cameron joined the Countryside Alliance in another performance of defending so-called trail hunting at an event in Westminster. Kennel Huntsman Josh Tierney looks back to see who is watching before retrieving the body of the fox that is being killed in front of him. Image: Three County Hunt Sabs Four days later, on 18 September, the Heythrop Hunt - a hunt Cameron has ridden with and was seen attending earlier this year - was out near Lower Swell in Gloucestershire. Three Counties Hunt Sabs were there when the Heythrop’s hounds killed yet another fox, before members of the hunt carried its mauled body away. Tierney legging it with the fox remains: Image: Three County Hunt Sabs Cameron’s association with the Heythrop goes back decades. Most recently, on 28 February this year, Three Counties Sabs photographed the former Prime Minister attending a joint Heythrop and Tynedale meet at Dean Manor in Oxfordshire. Cameron is spotted at a Heythrop meet in February 2026. Image: Three County Hunt Sabs Cameron’s connections to hunting go beyond the Heythrop. His stepfather-in-law, Viscount Astor, is the chairman of the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA), the governing body for registered hunts in Britain. Astor recently made the news when his plot to “hoodwink” government ministers over the proposed trail hunting ban made The Times newspaper. William Waldorf Astor III, 4th Viscount Astor, stepfather-in-law of David Cameron and Chairman of the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA). Image: Bristol Hunt Saboteurs Another senior figure at the BHSA has an even more direct connection to the Heythrop. It is the BHSA’s executive director, Julian Barnfield. Barnfield is the former huntsman of the Heythrop, and he has history with Cameron. Quadruple-convicted former Heythrop Huntsman, now the executive director of the BHSA Julian Barnfield. In 2008, Barnfield was charged with three offences under the Hunting Act over allegations he had hunted foxes with hounds. At the time Cameron was Leader of the Opposition and the Heythrop was his local hunt. Cameron was also Barnfield’s constituency MP. Following a private meeting between the two, Cameron intervened personally and wrote to the Attorney General on his constituent’s behalf, reportedly questioning whether prosecuting the Heythrop huntsman was “really a productive use of police time?” The case was subsequently discontinued. Attempts to obtain a copy of the letter under the Freedom of Information Act were unsuccessful. Did the CPS cave to pressure from Cameron? Four years later, Barnfield was back before the courts for illegal hunting. In December 2012, Barnfield pleaded guilty to four charges of illegally hunting foxes with dogs. Heythrop senior master Richard Sumner also pleaded guilty to four offences, as did Heythrop Hunt Ltd itself. The case made history, as the Heythrop became the first hunt to be convicted as a corporate body under the Hunting Act. Barnfield, the quadruple-convicted huntsman, on whose behalf David Cameron had personally intervened during the earlier prosecution, would go on to become the executive director of the organisation responsible for governing hunts in Britain. On the morning of 18 September 2026, Three Counties Hunt Sabs were with the Heythrop when its hounds entered woodland. WATCH THE VIDEO The hunt had surrounded the woodland while hounds were pushed through the covert - classic cub hunting. Riders can be heard slapping their saddles - a tactic used to scare fleeing foxes back towards the hounds. The fox was killed just inside the fenceline. Kennel huntsman Josh Tierney was filmed climbing into the woodland and emerging carrying the fox’s mauled body, before running away with it. When the sabs were able to reach the kill-site, they found blood and internal body parts - including the fox’s liver, left behind. Blood on the fence where the fox’s body had been dragged (top) and liver and intestines (bottom) Before joining the Heythrop, Tierney had been huntsman of the South Dorset Hunt. On 24 July 2024, he was convicted of racially/religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress. The Heythrop’s current master and huntsman Oliver Dale received a police caution after an assault on a female sab in November 2024. Dale was also charged with three Hunting Act offences whilst master and huntsman of the North Cotswold Hunt. Those charges were subsequently discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service. The Heythrop’s political connections are not confined to former Conservative leaders. In January this year the current Tory party leader, Kemi Badenoch, appeared at the Cocklebarrow Point-to-Point, a fundraiser for the Heythrop. While there, Badenoch used her speech to attack the proposed ban on so-called ‘trail hunting’. She was pictured with a grinning Oliver Dale. By the time Badenoch stood up in defence of trail hunting, the Heythrop hunt already had 12 guilty counts for illegal hunting. Furthermore, another former Heythrop huntsman, Chris Woodward - who had himself been convicted of a Hunting Act offence committed while he was huntsman of the Wynnstay Hunt - was at the centre of an incident that resulted in the Heythrop being issued a Community Resolution by Gloucestershire Rural Crime Team after he lost control of its hounds near Bourton-on-the-Water. Heythrop Hunt kill a fox in 2023 at Eyford Park with Chris Woodward present. Woodward also arrived at the Heythrop with convictions for interfering with a badger sett and harassment. Over the years, individuals who have gone on to serve as Heythrop huntsmen have accumulated strings of offences ranging from harassment and badger sett interference to illegal hunting. None of this history was hidden. The Heythrop and its hunt staff are also under further police investigations for events during the 2025/2026 season which we will report more on when we are able. A spokesperson for the HSA said: “Once again the Heythrop Hunt have been caught killing a fox. Its roll call of convicted huntsmen should be enough to make any politician steer well clear. Instead, politicians who aspire to govern this country continue to associate with, promote and defend the smokescreen of ‘trail hunting’. Cub hunting is particularly indefensible. Young hounds are taken into woodland and taught to hunt foxes, whilst riders surround a covert and try to prevent foxes from escaping. There is no trail to follow, and no plausible excuse when a fox ends up dead.” Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs said: “Cub hunting and holding up (i.e stopping young foxes escaping hounds) continues as it did pre ban”. You can support Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs here and follow them here Join the Hunt Saboteurs Association! Support our vital work by becoming a member. Join The HSA Spread the word! Please share our news Share via email Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Logo Copyright (C) 2026 Hunt Saboteurs Association. All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Hunt Saboteurs Association. Our mailing address is: BM HSA, London, WC1N 3XX, U.K. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

OAK POLIPORE

View this email in your browser Donate Join Shop Hi John, For the endangered fungus Oak Polypore, finding the right home can be a matter of survival. This remarkable species relies on ancient Oak trees. But these irreplaceable trees are being lost to development, habitat loss and climate change, meaning the Oak Polypore is losing its home. Without intervention, its future is uncertain. But there is hope. We're creating new habitats for the endangered Oak Polypore to live and developing techniques to rehome them as part of our Natur am Byth partnership project. It’s painstaking conservation work. And it could offer Oak Polypore a lifeline. Will you donate £20 today to help give species like Oak Polypore a future? Donate today By helping to protect rare species like Oak Polypore, you're not just saving one species. You're helping safeguard the ancient woodland ecosystem that supports birds, bats, insects and countless other forms of life. Fungi are part of what holds these ecosystems together. Yet despite everything they do, fungi remain one of conservation’s biggest blind spots. We have an opportunity to change that. Your support can help enable vital research into rare and threatened fungi, protect the habitats they depend on and turn scientific knowledge into action before it’s too late. Please give £20 today and help bring fungi out of the shadows. Donate Thank you for standing up for a world that's been overlooked for too long. Best wishes, Nicola Hutchinson Chief Executive P.S. Oak Polypore is losing its home, but we have a chance to help. Your gift of £20 could support the research and conservation needed to secure a future for endangered fungi. Please donate today. Oak Polypore Image: Oak Polypore Buglossoporus quercinus fungus Follow Plantlife on: Instagram Instagram Facebook Facebook YouTube YouTube LinkedIn LinkedIn Website Website Copyright © Plantlife All rights reserved. Plantlife International is a charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered Charity in England and Wales (1059559) & Scotland, (SC038951) Registered Company in England and Wales (3166339) Registered Office: Brewery House,36 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2AP, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1722 342730 enquiries@plantlife.org.uk www.plantlife.org.uk Plantlife respects your privacy. You can read more about how and why we use your personal data at www.plantlife.org.uk/privacy-notice Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.