Nature lovers are being urged to dig deep to help buy land at Langholm Moor as the clock ticks down on a potential deal.
A public crowdfunder and major donors have boosted south Scotland’s biggest community buyout but there are just days left to find a £400,000 shortfall.
And organisers have begged for one last push before the July 31 deadline for the project which would double the size of the community-owned Tarras Valley Nature Reserve.
The price tag is £2.2m to buy 5,300 acres of Langholm Moor from Buccleuch Estates. The fund received a massive boost recently when Scottish Land Fund awarded the Langholm Initiative charity £1 million towards the buyout.
And the public crowdfunder – which has attracted support from thousands of people worldwide – has surged past its £200,000 target, thanks to an influx of donations.
Members of the public are being encouraged to keep donating as the ambitious buyout bid goes down to the wire.
Jenny Barlow, estate manager at Tarras Valley Nature Reserve, said: “We need one last big push to help make history happen and get us over the line. We are urging major donors to come forward and asking people to keep donating to our crowdfunder. Every pound gets us one step closer,
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase this land for people and planet. It really is now or never for one of the UK’s largest community-led nature recovery projects to double its scale.”
The Tarras Valley Nature Reserve was established last year, following the successful first stage of the community buyout.
It saw the community defy the odds to raise £3.8 million to buy 5,200 acres and six residential properties from Buccleuch in March, 2021. On the reserve, globally important peatlands and ancient woods are being restored, native woodlands established and a haven ensured for wildlife including hen harrier, short-eared owl and merlin.
Leading charities backing the buyout include Borders Forest Trust, John Muir Trust, Rewilding Britain, RSPB Scotland, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Trees for Life, and the Woodland Trust.
Buccleuch has supported the community bid, agreeing with The Langholm Initiative a fixed purchase price in 2019 and extending fundraising deadlines.
The crowdfunder can be supported at bit.ly/LangholmMoorAppeal.
