Carbon offset Beagle

Quite a few oak and larch will be used to build the replica, so we're doing our bit to replace them. Land has already been set aside in Pembrokeshire for a mixed plantation of oaks, and the New Forest is offering space for oaks to be planted in a Beagle plantation: a great way of helping the project, of commemorating Charles Darwin (himself a botanist of no mean achievement) and sucking a little of that troublesome carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Oaks are also a great home for our indigenous bugs, home to about 270 species. The Forest of Dean has also offered wood to make Beagle's belaying pins (used for securing ropes, or in crash-bang napoloeonic naval warfare novels for knocking out rebellious crew members), for which many thanks to Terry O'Shaughnessy. Drawings and dimensions for the pins are on their way. We will only use belaying pins for their intended purpose.

We think that this is a great fundraising idea, and intend that communities all over Britain (and elsewhere) will set aside some land for a Beagle wood, plant trees and make a £5 donation to the rebuild with each tree planted.