With all the terrible events taking place in the world, it’s a breath of fresh air and wonderful to see people and organisations being proactive and making a difference. 

One of the events I look forward to most of all in the year is the World Land Trust's Big Match Fortnight.  It is held in the first two weeks of October each year, and it's a wonderful opportunity to get involved in a massive conservation appeal and really make a difference to wildlife, and local communities.

 The World Land Trust is based in Suffolk, but which has an international reach.  It protects habitats and wildlife in tropical regions and it raises funds to buy land for the specific purpose of conservation, working with local conservation partners.

Since its founding back in 1989, the Trust has worked with many conservation groups around the world.  With the help of its supporters and very generous donors, it has funded 3,312,183 acres, co-funded a further 3,582,825 acres, the planting of 3,362,691 trees and the protection of over 13,066 species.  That’s quite a feat, so that just shows what you can do when you have a very strong focus.

This October from the 1st to 15th, the Big Match Fortnight 2025 is to expand Colombia's El Silencio Reserve.

The aim is to raise £2.2 million for the World Land Trust's partner, Fundación Biodiversa Colombia (FBC), and the funds will go to expand the El Silencio Reserve, thereby saving 3,694 acres of very threatened land before it is lost to deforestation.   The region is an absolutely hotspot of biodiversity, bursting with wildlife. This video gives you an insight into what it's like there.

This is a huge fundraiser - the goal is close to £2.2 million.

• The funds will bring two more key properties into the El Silencio reserve, which will help FBC connect over 6,000 hectares of wetland, grassland and forest.  

• It will fund the employment of two rangers who will protect and patrol the land for three years.  

• It will protect critically endangered species and bring areas of land that are degraded under protection so that the land can be restored.  

• The appeal will also safeguard Ciénaga de Barbacoas.   This wetland provides breeding grounds for manatees and waterbirds.   It will support the fishing practices of local communities.  
  

This means that land currently in danger of being cleared for cattle and buffalo ranching, with hunting, illegal logging and a growing manmade canal, can be saved for species such as amphibians, insects, primates, bats, bird species (over 300 of them) and animals such as the Magdalena River Turtle. 

Animals such as the Magdalena River Turtle, the Critically Endangered Brown Spicer Monkey, the Silvery-brown Tamarin an the Grey-handed Night Monkey are all depending on us all.

UPDATE:
The match itself has finished (the last day for triple matches for this appeal was the 15th October 2025) but donations are still very much welcomed! The appeal was 36% of the way there on the 17th October, so please let's see what we can do to make it succeed and help Colombian wildlife and forests!

You can read the project brief here. And there's a very informative You Tube video and Q&A here.

Enough from me on the subject.  Please fly, swim, leap or jump off to the World Land Trust’s website to find out more. 

Please spread the word as you go, and encourage people to donate.   This is a huge chance to make a difference to wildlife and communities in Colombia.