Campaigners are encouraging the public to buy their loved ones a Christmas present that will last forever – open space on one of the world's most beautiful islands.

Buy Back Bermuda (BBB) is appealing for donations for its second campaign to preserve a piece of the Rock for future generations.

In an advertisement in The Royal Gazette, campaigners from the Bermuda National Trust and Bermuda Audubon Society urge people to buy 'The Gift that Gives Back'. Following the fundraising drive to buy back the Somerset Long Bay East Nature Reserve, BBB wants to raise $2.5 million to buy Eve's Pond in Hamilton Parish and Evans Bay Pond in Southampton.

Former Premier David Saul is heading the bid and hopes the public will respond as enthusiastically as they did with the first campaign. Then, 500 members of the public – including schoolchildren, joined with banks, foundations and companies to raise $2 million to buy the nature reserve.

The amount needed then was $1.7 million, leaving more than $250,000 for the new projects. Eve's Pond, a 3.5 acre plot by Shelly Bay Park, once had an inland tidal pond but this was filled in with sand from the dredging of Flatts Inlet in 1941. Evans Bay Pond, covering 7.5 acres near Whale Bay, has mangroves, woodland, rare native flora and a rich variety of bird life.

Dr. Saul said: "We will put in a footpath, and hope to dig down and expose Eve's Pond once again. We used the surplus of $250,000 to put a down payment on Eve's Pond, so now we hope to raise the rest of the money by going to the public."

The former UBP leader said both projects would be undertaken together and those who donate will have their names placed on a bronze plaque at each location.

"Their names will be there forever, for saving a piece of Bermuda for future generations to enjoy," Dr. Saul said.

"We thought that with Christmas coming, family relatives could give a donation as a present and the person's name will then be placed on the plaque, celebrating their contribution to buying back a piece of green Bermuda.

"We are hoping to get a total of 1,000 names and so are hoping this Christmas, people will contribute."

Dr. Saul said members of the public have already donated $100,000 and an unnamed foundation has contributed $300,000, which BBB hopes the Government will now match, as it did last time."

BBB was originally formed to save the Somerset Long Bay site from a 20-condominium development. The Nature Reserve, which includes a beach, opened earlier this year.

"The first project was so successful, people asked us to continue the idea of purchasing open space to prevent it from being developed," said Dr. Saul.

BBB seeks out plots of land which are for sale and which lie adjacent to Government parks or other areas of open space. The land must be easily accessible to the public, such as by a road, and campaigners then work to eradicate invasive species such as Mexican Pepper and English Holly, planting cedar trees in their place and cutting out footpaths.

To make a donation to BBB, send a cheque payable to Buy Back Bermuda to: PO Box HM 61, Hamilton HM AX. For more information on the scheme call Mansae Le Vaillant on 236 6483 extension 222 or email: mansae[AT]bnt.bm

Footage of Eve's Pond and Evans Bay Pond can be seen in a video report at www.royalgazette.com