Meet Mariam and her two young children.
Together, they enjoy making dens, spotting bugs and getting messy in their local woodlands. However, it hasn’t always been this way…
“I spent much of my childhood indoors having been brought up to believe that outside was cold, dirty and dangerous. The closest I got to nature was driving to a picnic spot on a warm day, guzzling our sandwiches and piling back into the car to go home!
True to form, when my girls were young, we visited parks and played in the garden - we didn’t spend much time beyond these tidy, orderly places.
And then COVID hit and we were forced inside with the girls getting frustrated and bored – there is only so much colouring you can do. When restrictions lifted, we were desperate to get out and explore.
We discovered an ancient woodland and a lovely ruin surrounded by wild grasses and buzzing with insect life, all within a 30-minute walk from our house!"
The more Mariam discovered, the more she felt something needed to change.
“I learnt more about the climate and biodiversity crises and began to worry that my children would inherit a broken world.
One night, watching Sir David Attenborough on TV, his words sparked hope. He said: 'we have to do what nature has always done...we must rewild the world.'
I decided to investigate what I could do and that's when I came across SCOTLAND: The Big Picture. I was impressed by the charity's vision and level of ambition, and wanted to help. But with a young family, I'm not in a position to do that - at least not yet.
So instead, I've left a gift in my Will - a legacy for my children. It might not be a huge sum, but it will be something, and it gives me hope for future generations."
If, like Mariam, you feel that our values align closely with your own, please consider leaving a gift in your Will.
We understand that your Will is a very personal matter, so whether it’s 1%, 10% or even 50%, we welcome any contribution you can make to help more rewilding happen across Scotland. For nature, climate and people.
We'd love to hear from you!
If you have remembered SCOTLAND: The Big Picture in your Will, please do let us know so we can thank you for your generosity.
