My name is Ellie, and I’m a OneKind volunteer. I’m wanted to share with readers why I support OneKind, and why I would encourage you to donate to them this Christmas.
Like you, I’m passionate about animal welfare and want to see an end to animal cruelty in Scotland. But I also care deeply about our environment, and one thing that OneKind does that is quite unique from other animal charities is to put a strong emphasis on the environmental impacts of wildlife persecution. I feel it is very important to do this because damaging our environment causes unimaginable suffering to all animals that are a part of the ecosystem. OneKind values the individual and recognises the complex web of life that makes up an ecosystem and how damaging one small part can ripple out and affect the whole web. It also, of course, will come around to affect us humans because a healthy environment is integral to our culture, health and wellbeing.
In my professional life, I deliver environmental education to children, both in schools and after-school through ‘wildlife clubs’. This has given me an insight into how much enjoyment and happiness children get out of spending time in beautiful natural places watching and caring for wildlife. When I first started leading wildlife clubs, I was surprised by how few of the children had never seen or interacted with Scottish wildlife in person.
It was during one of these wildlife club sessions one afternoon that I had a magical experience with a fox. We were building hedgehog homes, when one of the children alerted me to a fox that had approached the group.
As we watched transfixed, this majestic animal curiously observed a child building his hedgehog home, and then padded towards him slowly, until they were directly looking into each other’s eyes. A gasp from one of the kids spooked the fox so it turned and gracefully trotted away. I was so happy that so many children witnessed this magical moment, and saw how gentle and beautiful foxes can be. These children will not grow up thinking foxes are vermin that need to be killed, but as a beautiful and integral part of our natural environment which should be respected and protected. I hope that we will succeed in protecting our wildlife so that future generations can witness moments like this too.
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I believe that the work that OneKind does in advocating a true ban on fox-hunting, an end to mountain hare and seal culls, banning the use of snare traps and putting a stop to wildlife persecution on grouse moors, is crucial to protecting our environment, and ensuring that our culture retains a connection to the wild and natural aspects of this beautiful country.
I love volunteering with and supporting OneKind because I know that my efforts are going toward helping to protect our environment and its wildlife.
If you share my passion for the environment and animal welfare then please join me in supporting OneKind’s work in any way you can. I am sharing my story because OneKind’s Christmas appeal is fundraising to make 2018 the biggest year for animal welfare in Scotland yet, a year when our animals will truly ROAR against cruelty. Will you join me in supporting OneKind today?
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