Team Wanderlust | 02 December 2019
Join the club: 8 gift memberships for travellers and wildlife lovers
These memberships make the ideal Christmas gift, offering experiences and days out all year round, plus the chance to give something back...
These memberships make the ideal Christmas gift, offering experiences and days out all year round, plus the chance to give something back...
Humboldt penguin (Shutterstock)
The perfect gift for wildlife lovers, a ZSL London Zoo membership offers unlimited visits to two of the most highly respected zoos in the world, while supporting vital conservation projects around the world.
As a member, your favourite traveller will be able to visit both ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, whenever they want, skipping the queues with fast track entry. They’ll enjoy priority booking and discounts on events and experiences.
And receive the zoo’s award winning magazine, Wild About, featuring inspiring stories about the zoo’s vital conservation work, including fighting forest exploitation in Cameroon and protecting the last remaining population of Asiatic lions in West India.
A bottlenose dolphin in the waters of the Moray (Dreamstime)
Have you seen a dolphin in the wild? These amazing, intelligent and charismatic creatures need your help. By adopting a dolphin you’ll be helping the WDC (Whale and Dolphin Conservation) protect dolphins from oil and gas activity and industrial development in Scotland, giving these amazing creatures a safer future.
Your recipient will receive a welcome pack with adoption certificate, a cotton bag and car sticker and updates in Whale & Dolphin and a fantastic magazine published every three months.
Castle Campbell, Scotland (Shutterstock)
Give the gift of free entry to brochs, castles, palaces, abbeys, towers and tombs across Scotland with a Historic Scotland membership. The lucky traveller in your life will also gain free entry to over 400 events that bring Scotland's history to life, including jousting knights, and a free quarterly member’s magazine.
They can take their membership card on holiday with them too and enjoy entry to English Heritage, Cadw (Welsh) and Manx National Heritage attractions for half-price. Renew, and they’ll get in for free.
Taking photos (Dreamstime)
A membership with the Royal Photographic Society is the ideal gift for the aspiring travel photographer in your life, offering them the chance to network with talented photographers and improve their skills.
As well as receiving a monthly, award-winning magazine, they’ll be able to display their portfolio on the RPS website, work towards a recognised RPS distinction, get discounts on workshops and insurance and gain entry to regional events. It’s a great way to improve their photography and meet others with similar passions.
Clan Graves at the Battlefield site on Culloden Moor (Dreamstime)
Open up a whole world of heritage for the traveller in your family with a National Trust for Scotland membership.
As well as unlimited free entry to Scotland's iconic places like Culloden and St Kilda, the Trust has agreements with similar organisations around the world, including the National Trust in England, allowing members to visit their properties for free as well.
Add car parking passes, a comprehensive guide and the a subscription to their members' magazine and you have a truly bonnie gift.
Woman studying art (Dreamstime)
The Arts Society is a leading arts education charity with a global network of 385 local societies, which bring people together through a shared curiosity for the arts.
The lucky art lover who receives your gift will enjoy the Quarterly Arts magazine, invitations to exclusive member events and courses, special offers and concessions as well as a regular newsletter.
They’ll also have the opportunity to volunteer for the society, getting a rare behind-the-scenes insight into this fascinating world.
Green fields near Salisbury (Dreamstime)
The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) work tirelessly to protect, promote and enhance English towns and countryside and protect them for current and future generations.
By giving a membership, you’ll be doing your bit to keep the precious countryside safe, and bestowing upon the rambler in your life some great perks including the Countryside Voice magazine, discounted entry to around 200 of England's most splendid houses and gardens and a 10% discount on gear from Cotswold Outdoor.
Black-tailed godwit in flight at Welney (Dreamstime)
Give a Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust membership and you are giving your special wildlife lover nine wetland centres to explore, close encounters with rare birds, jaw-dropping moments with mischievous mammals and the Waterlife magazine, four times a year.
You’ll also be helping to save wetlands and wildlife in the UK and abroad, such as the charming water vole, which has declined by 95% since the 1970s.
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