Our planet is at a critical turning point. Human activities such as intensive farming, overfishing and badly planned development are causing a collapse of biodiversity on an unprecedented scale. Birds, mammals, insects, amphibians and fish are in steep decline and are diminishing at terrifying rates. Our work to save birds and their habitats is already underway, but we need your help to do even more. As a non-profit, non-governmental organization we rely on external funding sources to continue our critical work, from individuals supporting us through their donations and membership to foundations, institutions and national and EU programmes funding conservation programmes and campaigns. All of this funding supports our efforts to protect birds and nature, such as through restoring important habitats, saving endangered bird species, combatting illegal bird killing, lobbying for the enforcement of environmental legislation and reaching out to the younger generations through our educational programmes.

Head over to www.givengain.com to create your account – make sure you sign up as a fundraiser. Search for BirdLife Cyprus as a charity and choose to fundraise for the 100K for Nature campaign. Set up your fundraising page and set it to end on 20 December 2021. Share your challenge and the link to your fundraising page with friends and family and urge them to support you by sponsoring you. We’ve got some great milestone images which you can share on social media as you progress through the challenge.

There is no set donation target for this challenge – you simply raise as much as you can.

If you don’t have a smart watch that tracks your activities, there are some good free mobile apps such as Strava or Runkeeper so you can log your activities with your mobile phone.

Don’t worry too much about not completing the challenge. The most important thing is taking part, helping raise awareness and fundraising for nature. Share your progress on the Facebook group and in your social media to keep yourself motivated! We’re here to support you!

We will be sending all participants a gift bag as a thank you for taking on this challenge. The gift bag includes a 100K branded t-shirt, a water bottle and a tote bag. To receive yours, please create your account and your fundraising page on www.givengain.com after filling in and submitting the online registration form. There is a limited number of gift bags and these will be given out on a first come first served basis. Please note that the gift bags will only be sent to those participants who have already set up their fundraising campaign page on www.givengain.com and have connected it with the 100K for Nature campaign.

How you complete the challenge is entirely up to you. From long walks or bike rides during the weekends to short strolls in the park, commuting to work with your bike or keeping to your running schedule during the week, anything goes and all kilometers count! Combining your activities will help you reach the target faster. Participating with other outdoor activities, such as swimming, roller-skating or kitesurfing and windsurfing, is also more than welcome! 

As a participant in the 100K for Nature challenge you choose which cause you would like to support with the money you have raised. Simply choose which cause you wish to support when completing the registration form. We promise to put your generous donation to good use. 100% of the funds raised by this campaign will support targeted conservation actions. Early in 2022, we will announce how much all of our 100K for Nature challenge participants have raised together as well as where the money raised will be invested.

BirdLife Cyprus is a registered non-governmental non-profit organization (registration no. 4). Our financial statements are audited by an external auditor on an annual basis. Our latest Annual Activity Report is available here.

Individuals over the age of 18 based in Cyprus or abroad can participate in the challenge. Please note that gift bags will be sent only to Cyprus addresses. It goes without saying that participants are more than welcome to involve other people, family or friends, to accompany them during their walks, rides and runs – of course as long as any covid-19 rules/restrictions currently in place are adhered to.

We welcome companies and their staff to join the challenge! If you are interested in taking part as part of your company’s CSR programme, please contact us for more information and how you can participate at christia.alexandrou@birdlifecyprus.org.cy