Go and do it with a Des Rubens Bill Wallace adventure grant

Applications are now open for grants of between £200-£2000 aimed at those who seek out experiences in wild places that will benefit both the person, and wild places they visit.

Since its launch in 2017, the Des Rubens and Bill Wallace Grant has sent more than 70 lucky recipients on life- changing adventures to wild places.

The grant was founded in commemoration of two former presidents of the Scottish Mountaineering Club – Des Rubens (pictured above) and Bill Wallace – to facilitate experiences in wild places of benefit to both the person and the wild places themselves.

Two recipients of our 2025 grant were Yvonne Reddick and Aleks Domanski (pictured above). They travelled to the Sierra Nevada in California last summer to shoot a documentary about the effects of recent wildfires on wildlife.

“We spent one fortnight in Sequoia National Park and one in Sierra National Forest. A real highlight was finding the black-backed woodpecker, which was the key character in our story,” Aleks said.

“It was fantastic to have the Trust’s support on this project, especially given John Muir’s deep passion for that part of the world, which led him to help establish America’s National Park system.”

“I’m a keen member of the British Mountaineering Council and the chance to experience the Sierra Nevada range was life-changing. I have longed to go there since I first read John Muir’s essays,” said Yvonne.

“I think it’s wonderful that people can access adventure and wild places through the grant. It’s a fantastic legacy for two wonderful mountaineers.”

• Find out more about the  Des Rubens Bill Wallace Grant and how to apply before the closing date of 15 January 2027.
• Aleks and Yvonne’s documentary Forest Fires and
  Snowshoe Hares is planned for release next year. Their
  previous film, Searching for Snow Hares, was released
  last year and is currently streaming on Ecoflix.