Lizzie Pennefather
'Like many of my school friends, I have become very aware of the damage that we are doing to our environment and I am especially concerned about the impact of pollution and climate change on our seas, and on the abundant life they support.'
Lizzie Pennefather
Sixteen-year-old Lizzie Pennefather is walking 120 miles along the Cumbrian coast to raise money for Living Seas North West, supporting their work protecting marine wildlife and habitats in the Irish Sea.
Here's more from Lizzie:
'My love of nature and the outdoors came from holidays spent in the Duddon Valley in Cumbria. My family has connections to the area stretching back several generations, and Duddon is the place that feels most like home to me.
As a family, we've always spent time at the coast, often visiting the beaches at Haverigg and Silecroft to build sandcastles, go rockpooling and swim in the sea. My father, who is a keen birdwatcher, regularly takes us to the RSPB reserve at Hodbarrow and to Walney Island to experience the extraordinary noise and energy of nesting seabirds. These visits over the years have been instrumental in developing my love of the Cumbrian coast and its wildlife.
Like many of my school friends, I have become very aware of the damage that we are doing to our environment and I am especially concerned about the impact of pollution and climate change on our seas and on the abundant life they support. I recently attended a pageant and was impressed by the positive impact that some of my fellow contestants had been making in their local communities. This inspired me to take action to help improve the environment rather than simply sitting at home worrying about it.
With a long summer stretching ahead after my GCSEs, I set myself the challenge of walking 120 miles along the Cumbrian Coastal Way, from Duddon Bridge all the way to Scotland. The walk should take me about 15 days and I’m hoping to raise £2,500 for Living Seas North West, a Cumbria Wildlife Trust project run in collaboration with the Cheshire and Lancashire Wildlife Trusts.
I walked the first 15 miles from Duddon Bridge to Silecroft over the Easter weekend. Incredibly, on the very first day of my walk I saw 48 bird species including curlew, lapwing, skylark and oystercatcher, which just goes to show how rich in wildlife the coastal region is, and how important it is that we protect it!
Now my GCSEs are finished I'll be back in Cumbria to complete the rest of the walk, and to get involved with Living Seas North West’s volunteering opportunities that are happening over the summer. I am excited about exploring the stunning Cumbrian coastline and seeing some incredible wildlife on the way.’
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Lizzie is recording her walk on her Just Giving page www.justgiving.com/fundraising/lizzie-pennefather and on her Instagram account (@lizzie_pageants) if you’d like to follow her progress.
Get in touch to find out more about fundraising for Cumbria Wildlife Trust