Nature News Team Wins National Award


Wiltshire Wildlife - the magazine produced for supporters of the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is among the winners of a UK-wide competition run by BBC Wildlife Magazine to encourage and reward excellence in green charity publications.

Representatives of the Devizes-based charity travelled to Broadcasting House in Bristol on January 22 to receive their award in the BBC Wildlife Magazine Awards for the Best British Charity Publications 2000. Presenting the award was the distinguished environmental broadcaster, author and academic, Professor Chris Baines (recently co-presenter, with Charlie Dimmock, of the BBC2 programme Charlie's Wildlife Gardens), who was one of the competition's judges. He handed a certificate and a framed front cover to Sue Macklin, the Trust's Head of Education and Communications, after announcing that Wiltshire Wildlife was a highly commended entry in the best Wildlife Trust magazine category.

Afterwards, BBC Wildlife Magazine's editor, Rosamund Kidman Cox, another of the judges, said: "It's a great honour to be a winner in this competition and I hope Wiltshire Wildlife Trust's friends and supporters will join me in congratulating their editorial team on their win and the acknowledgement it gives to the vital work all such publications do in spreading conservation messages."

She added: "We received well over 100 entries from virtually all of the wildlife and environmental charities operating in Britain today and the task of judging was made additionally difficult by the range of nature specialisms covered, and by the very different approaches demanded by the variety of resources, budgets, personnel and subjects involved.."

In addition to winning the prize, Wiltshire Wildlife will have an accolade in the February issue of BBC Wildlife Magazine, on sale from 24 January, and gains the right to incorporate its success in the contest in its publication's masthead.

Wiltshire Wildlife is a quarterly publication delivered as part of their annual subscription to Wiltshire Wildlife Trust members (currently over 11,000). For more information on joining the Trust, and contributing to its work in looking after some of the most beautiful places in Wiltshire, contact the Trust's head office on (01380) 725670.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Maggie at: Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, Elm Tree Court, Long Street, Devizes SN10 1NJ, tel: 01380 725670, e-mail gardens@wiltshirewildlife.org.

Press enquiries to: Sharon Charity, Press Officer, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust; 01380 725670, mobile 07762 347737; e-mail scharity@wiltshirewildlife.org

The Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is the largest voluntary organisation in the county concerned with all aspects of nature conservation. It was established in 1962 and now has over 10,000 members. The Trust owns or manages 41 nature reserves. It also advises landowners on how to manage their land with wildlife in mind, and comments on structure plans and planning applications which affect sites of wildlife interest. The Trust is also actively involved in environmental education. For more information, contact Sharon Charity, Press Officer, on 01380 725670.

FOR GENERAL PRESS ENQUIRIES, CONTACT SHARON CHARITY, PRESS OFFICER.