Steve Lister
Senior Birder, ex County Recorder, Garden Moths.
I have birded the area including Adana and Gaziantep four times since 1987 and have stayed in both cities. The people around there seem invariably friendly and welcoming and I have several happy memories of how they go out of their way to be helpful without wanting anything back. Like the family who invited Dave Gosney and I to join their picnic along the path at the Isikli birding site, or the lads who pulled our car out of the hole that my mate had driven into (remember that Reader?), or the guy we thought was shouting at us for parking near his house but just wanted to give six of us tea and cakes.
So I am very saddened by what has happened there this week. The death toll has reached 20,000 people there and in northern Syria. Now that there is a properly set up scheme for donations I have sent £50; it will be boosted by gift aid of £12.50 and the UK government will double it, or at least the £50. So £112.50 which will support four or five families for ten days.
I hope that any birders who have had similar enjoyable trips to the area will donate something to help the many thousands of people who will be in desperate need. The areas are not particularly well off, and the weather is very cold and snowy at this time of year. So they are certainly in need of anything that we can send.
So I am very saddened by what has happened there this week. The death toll has reached 20,000 people there and in northern Syria. Now that there is a properly set up scheme for donations I have sent £50; it will be boosted by gift aid of £12.50 and the UK government will double it, or at least the £50. So £112.50 which will support four or five families for ten days.
I hope that any birders who have had similar enjoyable trips to the area will donate something to help the many thousands of people who will be in desperate need. The areas are not particularly well off, and the weather is very cold and snowy at this time of year. So they are certainly in need of anything that we can send.
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