Support Seagrass Ocean Rescue by shopping at Cotswold Outdoor this summer

Cotswold Outdoor invite you to round up your payment at the till in aid of The Climate Project from the BMC's Access & Conservation Trust until 30 June 2025.
This spring/summer, the BMC's Premium Partner, Cotswold Outdoor, are very generously having a Pennies appeal in aid of The Climate Project from the BMC's Access & Conservation Trust (ACT). As well as using your 15% BMC membership discount in store, with any gear you buy right now, you will be asked if you want to round up your payment by a few pence at the till with Pennies. Simply press the 'Yes' button to donate until the end of June 2025.
In 2023 Cotswold Outdoor raised over £35,000 for our Mend Our Mountains campaign through a similar Pennies at the till appeal. This year the proceeds will go to The Climate Project, so get that new pair of boots now! Find a Cotswold Outdoor store near you.
What is The Climate Project?
The Climate Project, from the BMC's Access & Conservation Trust, is a collection of nature-based solutions and resources to fight the climate crisis. It includes our long-term commitment to planting sphagnum with Moors for the Future Partnership as part of their peatland restoration programme, and our latest addition - planting seagrass with Seagrass Ocean Rescue. You might be thinking, why should hill walkers, mountaineers and climbers divert their interest from the mountains towards the sea? We sent BMC Pembroke Access Rep, Steve Quinton, to the Seagrass Ocean Rescue open day this May to find out more about this vital marine plant...
Why is seagrass so important?
Steve Quinton says, "We had a guided nursery tour, learning about how seagrass is grown, how the seeds are stored and Seagrass Ocean Rescue's research. Staff showed us about the work they've done so far, the next steps and upcoming events. The guides were very helpful and it was a lovely day out."
Steve spoke to Emily Yates, Seagrass Ocean Rescue Nursery Lead about the importance of UK seagrass, it's massive decline, and what the organisation are doing about it.
Why is seagrass so important?
Seagrass around the UK coastline is vital, partly as a habitat for numerous (over 1,000) marine species (e.g. cod, sea horses) and also as a means of taking carbon dioxide out of the oceans and reducing ocean acidity. Seagrass meadows can absorb carbon as much as 40 times faster than rainforests. One hectare of seagrass can store around 400kg of carbon dioxide per year.
Why should BMC members be interested in seagrass?
Because restoring seagrass is part of the fight against human-induced climate change which is causing big problems in many mountain areas, and also to protect fish stocks for food security.
Which areas of the UK are the most degraded seagrass meadows?
I'm not not sure of specific areas but British coasts have seen a catastrophic loss. Approximately 92% of our seagrass has been lost in the last 100 years due to coastal development and sea-water pollution.
What can be done to save seagrass?
Reducing pollution, stopping anchoring and mooring of boats in seagrass areas and stopping trawling in some areas. Also, replanting work like we are doing at Seagrass Ocean Rescue. We need protected areas for seagrass to thrive in.
Support seagrass now!
Help us plant more carbon-locking seagrass by donating to The Climate Project
How are you researching seagrass?
We are monitoring our success with various levels of salinity, different water temperatures, different sediments and planting at different times of the year. We have also set up a network with other organisations around the world doing similar work.
How do you store and grow the seeds?
Seeds are harvested from a donor meadow in North Wales. They then go into tanks in polytunnels where conditions are closely controlled. Plants can then be planted out into larger ponds (up to 100m) on site and then transported to project areas, such as Dale Bay in Pembrokeshire.
How long does this process take?
It varies but typically 9 months from seed to planting out.
What successes has the project had so far?
In 2023 1.5 million seeds were picked in North Wales, these were then planted across restoration sites in Wales and at the Project Seagrass nursery over a six month period. In 2024, 1.2 million seeds were picked. Plans are currently underway for the coming spring to plant these seeds out alongside nursery grown transplants. Seed collection is also planned for 2025 where the Seagrass Ocean Rescue project aims to collect a similar amount of seeds to the previous two years.
Will this save the seagrass around the UK coastline?
The project needs to be scaled up - we are working on mechanisation but this is a way off. It's very labour intensive at the moment but we are expanding and continually improving methods.
Seagrass facts
- Captures carbon faster than rainforest
- Purifies seawater from pollutants
- Provides vital habitats for marine life
- Helps preserve endangered species
- Helps increase ecosystem biodiversity
- Meadows help slow coastal erosion
Support seagrass now!
Help us plant more carbon-locking seagrass by donating to The Climate Project
Where do your funds go?
£5 buys a pair of work gloves
£10 buys 10 hessian planting sacks
£25 buys a seagrass seeder tool
£50 buys a pair of mud shoes to reduce trampling impact
£150 buys equipment to test water quality at site
£250 buys a seed maturation cage to overwinter the seeds
£1,000 buys a drone survey to monitor growth
So treating yourself to that new bit of kit this summer has never been for such a good cause! Don't forget to take your BMC membership details along to your nearest Cotswold Outdoor store for your 15% off. Then simply press, 'YES' on the card reader to round up your payment in Cotswold Outdoor right now to donate a small amount with ease to The Climate Project. Or donate directly to The Climate Project here.
Related Content
Mynediad Newyddion
Last summer's Get Stuck In event placed 187 stepping stones along a 50m stretch of footpath in Eryri (Snowdonia). Event creator Steve Charles reports on how the path is looking eight months later.
Mynediad Newyddion
BMC volunteers have been using sheep fleeces to make sustainable footpaths below Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), North Wales. Why?
Mynediad Newyddion
A huge thank you to everyone who supported our Eryri Apprentice Ranger fundraiser on Big Give this spring, the BMC's Mend Our Mountains campaign raised a grand total of £14,000!
Mynediad Newyddion
BMC volunteers have planted a grand total of 790,000 sphagnum plugs in the Goyt Valley, Peak District, since our Get Stuck In volunteer events started in 2023.
Mynediad Newyddion
The BMC's Premium Partner, Cotswold Outdoor, has once again shown a hugely generous level of support to The Climate Project from the BMC's Access & Conservation Trust, by sending staff to plant sphagnum moss in the Peak District.
Cerdded Bryniau Newyddion
With the Easter Bank Holiday approaching and more people than ever heading to the hills, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) is echoing a vitally important message from Mountain Rescue England and Wales (MREW): be prepared, be informed, and don’t rely on your phone alone.
Mynediad Newyddion
Quick, buy that new pair of summer walking boots or waterproof you've been needing for ages and round up your payment at the till in any Cotswold Outdoor store to fund peatland and seagrass meadow restoration with the BMC.
Mynediad Newyddion
This week you have the chance to DOUBLE your impact towards fixing eroded footpaths in the beautiful Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park by donating via the Big Give Green Match Fund.
Mynediad Newyddion
Will you help the BMC's Access & Conservation trust raise vital funds for a new, two-year Apprentice Ranger training role focussed on footpath repair in the beautiful Eryri National Park?
Mynediad Newyddion
Today, on the first ever World Day for Glaciers, 21 March 2025, we celebrate what the BMC is already doing and how you can support us in preserving these vast, frozen rivers that we mountaineers and climbers love to work and play on.
Mountaineering Articles
Why has a World Day for Glaciers been set up for the first time this year, combined with World Water Day, on 20-21 March 2025? Why should BMC members be concerned about global glacier loss and most importantly, what can we do to help?
Mynediad Newyddion
The BMC's Access and Conservation Trust are recruiting a new chair and a number of trustees to help with the smooth-running of this phenomenal charity that facilitates access, education, conservation and volunteer projects across the United Kingdom to protect our crags and mountains.
Cerdded Bryniau Dysgwch Ger
At the British Mountaineering Council (BMC), we’re passionate about helping walkers, hikers, and mountaineers get the most out of their time in the great outdoors. Whether you’re setting off on a relaxed countryside ramble or tackling a challenging mountain route, having the right gear is essential for safety, comfort, and enjoyment.
Mend Our Mountains Articles
This December 800m of vital path repair works were completed at Chanctonbury Ring in West Sussex, one of the most prominent landmarks along the South Downs Way, and also one of the spookiest... Learn about the legends and try one of five walks there, if you dare.
Mend Our Mountains Articles
500 birch trees have been planted by BMC volunteers at Bransdale in the North York Moors. Walk these 6 nearby trails to appreciate the beauty of this remote corner of wilderness, south of the popular peak Roseberry Topping.
Cerdded Bryniau Newyddion
Will you help the BMC repair footpaths and avoid carbon loss in 2025 as part of Mend Our Mountains and The Climate Project?
Climate Articles
How do you balance budget with a climate conscience when booking a winter trip? Making changes to the way we travel is one of the most effective ways of reducing emissions and giving the snow and ice a fighting chance.
Mend Our Mountains Articles
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported the Mend Our Mountains campaign from the BMC's Access & Conservation Trust (ACT) - here are the 2024 highlights!
Mend Our Mountains Articles
Three impassable paths in the Cotswolds National Landscape have been fixed thanks to funding from the BMC Access & Conservation Trust's Mend Our Mountains campaign. Here are three great walking routes using these new paths.
Mend Our Mountains Articles
26,000 plastic bottles have been rescued from landfill to create a new bridge for walkers and climbers at Cressbrook Mill, partly funded by the Mend Our Mountains campaign from the BMC's Access & Conservation Trust.
Mend Our Mountains Articles
This year's International Mountain Day, Wed 11 Dec, the theme is: “Mountain solutions for a sustainable future – innovation, adaptation and youth”. Here at the BMC we are brimming with nature-based solutions in the mountains that contribute to a more sustainable future, so here are 3 easy ways you can help us right now.
Mend Our Mountains Articles
Work to improve the first route at Roseberry Topping from Newton Woods to the summit is now complete, but there are 9 more sections of path repair to go over the next two years. Here's everything you need to know about the ongoing repairs, where to walk, when and why.
Mend Our Mountains Articles
Help the BMC's Access & Conservation Trust raise FREE donations with all your online shopping at any time of the year with Easyfundraising.
Mend Our Mountains Articles
This Sunday is National Hiking Day, celebrated on 17 November, encouraging people to get outdoors and enjoy the beauty of nature through hill walking. Use the BMC's hiking route ideas to inspire you and our mapping discounts and freebies to navigate your way.
Mend Our Mountains Articles
With a new all-terrain, electric mobility scooter in the Cotswolds Natural Landscape thanks to Mend Our Mountains support, we celebrate the rise in accessible outdoor routes with a top six across the UK.
Mend Our Mountains Articles
Part-funded by the BMC, the new Great Bradley Bridge in Exmoor opens up access to the famous, 117-mile Two Moors Way long distance walking trail. Here are our five favourite walks that take in this new crossing.
Cerdded Bryniau Newyddion
With almost 2,000m of footpath around Haytor Rocks in Dartmoor newly repaired, thanks to BMC Access & Conservation Trust funding from the Mend Our Mountains campaign, here are our top 5 walks and climbs in the area.
Mend Our Mountains Articles
Do you have Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) days to fill or is your company looking for new and exciting CSR days for your staff? The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) has the answers.
Mynediad Dysgwch
This unassuming, bright, green or red moss with lush, almost tentacle-like fronds is hiding five well-kept secrets.
Mend Our Mountains Articles
Did you know that the 140,000 miles of footpaths and bridleways we have access to in England and Wales are under serious threat? The footpaths you love the walk on are disappearing fast before our eyes due to erosion from increased footfall and more extreme weather conditions. Here are 14 reasons why we can't ignore footpath erosion.
Hill Walking Articles
For many hill walkers, the call of the wild is a lifelong passion. However, the demands placed on our bodies by these activities require thoughtful care, especially as we age.
Mend Our Mountains Articles
The BMC volunteers have been super busy this summer, with the latest Get Stuck In project seeing 12 of them create a 50m length of stepping stone path to make a more sustainable way through the bog below Tryfan, Eryri (Snowdonia), North Wales.
Cerdded Bryniau Newyddion
Hill walking offers a wonderful way to connect with nature, challenge your body, and clear your mind. However, the physical demands of walking up and down steep terrain mean that optimal nutrition is essential to ensure you stay energised, strong, and focused. Whether you're setting off on a gentle stroll or tackling a more challenging route, here are the top nutrients you need to consider, along with some nutritious snack ideas to keep you fuelled on your adventure.
News
The BMC is pleased to announce our membership of Sports for Nature (S4N) - the first mountaineering organisation to do so. S4N enables and encourages sporting bodies to champion nature and contribute to its protection and restoration, an initiative that aligns completely with the BMC’s values, including our ongoing access and conservation work, aims for net-zero emissions by 2040 and new Climate & Sustainability Action Plan.
Mend Our Mountains Articles
If you're a BMC member or if you have made a donation to the BMC Access & Conservation Trust (ACT), you are directly supporting our Mend Our Mountains campaign which is funding Fix the Fells again this year. Your contributions enable rangers like Caroline Mercer to consistently repair and manage the Lake District paths that we love to walk on. We caught up with Caroline on a path above Derwent Water, near Keswick, to find out about a typical day in her life - it's pretty hard work!
Cerdded Bryniau Newyddion
This August, 14 BMC volunteers spent two days on The Band in Langdale, Lake District, making repairs to a 100m stretch of footpath in the latest Get Stuck In event, funded by the Mend Our Mountains campaign from the BMC's Access & Conservation Trust.
Mend Our Mountains Articles
The BMC’s Access & Conservation Trust (ACT) is pleased to announce a seventh project within the Mend Our Mountains campaign for 2024.
News
The sphagnum season is upon us again! Now that the ground-nesting birds have stopped ground-nesting, it’s time for BMC volunteers to start planting this incredible, carbon-sequestering moss at strategic locations across the Peak District moorland. Can you help us?
Olympics
With four GB Climbing athletes heading across the channel for the Olympic boulder and lead competitions starting Monday 5 August, not only are they bringing their A-game in terms of performance but, as part of the BMC, the whole team is supporting Paris 2024 in its bid to be the ‘greenest ever Games’.
Cerdded Bryniau Dysgwch Sgiliau
How to choose an ice axe for your next winter adventure
Climate Articles
Want to know more about how you can reduce your own personal carbon footprint and lessen your impact on the environment? We’ve tried to make it simple for you by producing three separate checklists – for yourself, your workplace and for any events you might be arranging.
Climate Articles
What's so great about bogs you ask? As part of our Let's Plant Moor series with Moors For The Future, Charlotte Kenyon gives an excellent explanation into the benefit of blanket bogs for carbon capture throughout our British landscapes:
Climate Articles
Our peatlands store more carbon than all other vegetation types in the world combined and yet here on our doorstep, they're in a state of degradation. As part of The Climate Project's Let's Plant Moor series, Moors For The Future Partnership Officer Alice Leary takes a look at the knock-on effect on the nature surrounding us and what's being done to prevent it.
Hill Walking Articles
Each year there are reports of people who have been attacked, or even trampled to death, by cows whilst out walking or approaching crags. BMC member Simon Coldrick was badly injured after a cow attacked him as he led a fell race on the edge of Sheffield.
Climate Articles
Our friends at Moors for the Future Partnership have produced a great series of five short films to help people understand the multiple benefits of healthy blanket bogs and why they are precious and worth protecting.
Mountaineering Destinations
If you’re looking for an unforgettable, high altitude trekking holiday this year we’ve got some great ideas for you here in Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and India from climbing mountaineering expedition operator Jagged Globe.
Climate Articles
The BMC has welcomed another conservation project into The Climate Project portfolio, planting seagrass with Seagrass Ocean Rescue in conjunction with the North Wales Wildlife Trust. This is in addition to the current sphagnum moss planting and peatland restoration with Moors for the Future in the Peak District that you can also get involved with here.
Mynediad & Chadwraeth
This April saw the BMC’s first volunteer day in Pwllheli, North Wales, partnering with the Seagrass Ocean Rescue project and the North Wales Wildlife Trust as part of the BMC’s The Climate Project. Two more dates are planned for May and August, read on for dates and how to get involved.
Mynediad & Chadwraeth
Seven things you always wanted to know about path repair (but were too afraid to ask)