Subject: Beagle Project newsletter

From: Peter McGrath <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2007 12:06:25 +0000

Dear All,

Beagle Project updates:
• We are now a UK registered company and have applied for charitable  
status; now that we officially exist and are accountable we have  
started fundraising,
we have paypal donate buttons on the
Homepage and weblog page:
www.thebeagleproject.com
www.thebeagleproject.com/beagleblog.html
we're  asking individuals for a Darwin (£10) or a Jackson ($20 - he was  
US President at the time of the voyage.  Corporate sponsorships packs  
available: email me.

• Our profile has shot up following recent  write ups on the popular  
American science websites Pharyngula and A blog around the clock here:
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/01/the_beagle_project.php
and
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/01/ 
miss_prism_has_a_brilliant_ide.php/
and here:
http://scienceblogs.com/clock/2007/02/help_fund_the_beagle_project_a.php
and several good fundraising ideas outlined on our beagleblog here
http://www.thebeagleproject.com/2007/01/good-people-good-will-good- 
ideas.html

• TV interest: lots of it, especially from stations from outside the  
UK.  Bigwave TV who specialise in science and natural history  
programming have shot a promotional film about the project - contact me  
if you're interested.

• We have had some tremendous free advice from PR and fundraising  
professionals whose hourly rates would make your eyes water and we're  
now recruiting admin support so we can step our efforts up still  
further.

• We are working towards developing the science and education aspects  
of the programme, bringing professionals in to advise and manage.  BUT  
the priority right now is fundraising for the build.  We need  £100,000  
(well £98,500 after the last three days donations) by April and £3.3  
million in 14 months if we are to have a replica HMS Beagle sailing and  
celebrating Darwin in 2009.  Ideas and contact which may lead to  
sponsors and donations welcome.

• And finally, a small but necessary rant for which I make no apology.   
This is a photo of the replica of HMS Endeavour entering Whitby  
harbour.

The estimated crowd in town on that day: 20,000.  James Cook learned 
his seamanship in Whitby, the original Endeavour was a Whitby built 
ship.  Yet this replica was built in Australia, because a British 
attempt to build a replica HMS Resolution (another of the Whitby built 
ships on which Cook circumnavigated the globe) had collapsed amid 
shrugging British indifference.  I don't want that to happen to Beagle: 
the build of the Beagle in Britain could be the story that keeps 
interest in Darwin200 bubbling away  in the media and (especially) gets 
young people interested during 2008 (I'm a youth sail training skipper 
and  regularly attend the Tall Ships Races - square riggers fire young 
people's enthusiasm like little else).  The launch will be a headline 
story and its arrival in the Galapagos, sailed by a crew of 
international young scientists will be an image that goes round the 
world.  And the Beagle will science, especially the teaching of 
evolution, a legacy for the ship's 30-odd year working life.  There are 
just 741 days until 12 February 2009 - we can have a replica HMS Beagle 
in the water by then.  It will take three months to have the plans 
approved and 14 months to build.  But for that to happen we need your 
enthusiasm, donations, overt support, contacts and assistance right 
now.  Not in 2008, or 2009.

Have a look over the newly poshed-up website: if you run a website or 
weblog, please feature us, link to us and help spread the word.  
Forward this email to people you think may be interested and if you 
think they should be but aren't interested enough, light a fire under 
them.  2009 will be really missing something if there is a Beagle 
shaped hole in it.   The last couple of days have really (temptation 
use corny wind/sail sailing metaphor...resisted) raised our profile and 
interest, especially in the US and I'm keen that we keep the momentum 
up and turn this is practical offers of financial support, advice and 
media coverage.

Regards,
Peter McGrath
Trustee, project co-founder, website designer.

The HMS Beagle Project • Celebrating Darwin • Inspiring science• 
Building evolution's inspiration.
web: www.thebeagleproject.com
blog: www.thebeagleproject.com/beagleblog.html
tel: 0044 (0)1947 840 222  mob: 0044 (0)7771 662 098

A not for profit company registered in the UK
The Stableyard
Lawrenny
Pembrokeshore SA68 0PW
UK reg. no. 6025763

Charitable status pending.

The HMS Beagle Project • Celebrating Darwin • Inspiring science• 
Building evolution's inspiration.
web: www.thebeagleproject.com
blog: www.thebeagleproject.com/beagleblog.html
tel: 0044 (0)1947 840 222  mob: 0044 (0)7771 662 098

A not for profit company registered in the UK
The Stableyard
Lawrenny
Pembrokeshore SA68 0PW
UK reg. no. 6025763

Charitable status pending