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British Local Nature Reserves Award (BLNRA)

 

Complete Rules: https://gmff.uk/blnra

British Local Nature Reserves Award (BLNRA) is a GMFF award programme for licensed amateur radio operators who activate or contact stations operating from Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) in the United Kingdom.

The programme is based on officially designated Local Nature Reserves in Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. These protected areas are established for their local importance to wildlife, geology, education, and public enjoyment. Local Nature Reserves help protect valuable habitats, species, green spaces, and natural features while encouraging responsible access and awareness of nature conservation.

Only references included in the BLNRA Official List are valid for this award programme.

BLNRA Chaser Award Series





















The BLNRA Chaser Award is issued to operators who make confirmed QSOs with amateur radio stations activating different BLNRA references.

Chaser awards are available for the following levels:

25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200, 225, 250, 275, 300, 325, 350, 375, 400, 425, 450, 475, and 500 different BLNRA references.

Each BLNRA reference may be counted once only for each award level.

BLNRA Activator Award Series






















The BLNRA Activator Award is issued to operators who successfully activate different BLNRA references.

Activator awards are available for the following levels:

25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200, 225, 250, 275, 300, 325, 350, 375, 400, 425, 450, 475, and 500 different BLNRA references.

Each BLNRA reference may be counted once only for each award level.

Activator Rules

To qualify as a valid BLNRA activation, the activator must operate from within the boundary of the Local Nature Reserve.

If access, safety, conservation rules, or local restrictions make this impractical, operation is permitted from a location within 100 metres of the nearest boundary of the listed BLNRA reference.

All transmitting equipment, including antenna, transceiver, power supply, and operator position, must be located within the qualifying area or permitted proximity zone.

A valid BLNRA activation requires a minimum of 10 QSOs with different stations.

Activators must always respect local site rules, access restrictions, wildlife, habitats, landowners, visitors, and any conservation requirements in force at the site.

Important Note About Coordinates and References

The coordinates in the BLNRA list may not be exact for every reference. We are actively working to improve and correct the data.

If a Local Nature Reserve is missing from the BLNRA list, or if you notice an error in the reference information, please contact us by email at mm0dfv@radioarena.co.uk, and we will make the necessary corrections.

General Conditions

All BLNRA participants must be current GMFF members and must follow the GMFF General Rules.

Award applications must be submitted using the appropriate official application form.

The award fee is payable through the GMFF website. Applicants must keep the PayPal transaction ID and include it with their application where required.

BLNRA Links

BLNRA Official List: https://gmff.uk/blnralist.ods 

Activator Application Form: https://gmff.uk/blnraactivatorapplication.ods

Chaser Application Form: https://gmff.uk/blnrachaserapplication.ods

GMFF General Rules: https://gmff.uk/gmff-awards-general-rules

Award Fee: https://gmff.uk/product/gmff-award-fee

GMFF Membership: https://gmff.uk/gmff-membership

Coordinate Converter: https://www.adif.uk/coord

QRA Locator Map: https://www.egloff.eu/qralocator

LNRs of Scotland: https://muzon.uk/gmlnr

LNRs of England: https://muzon.uk/gelnr

LNRs of Wales: https://muzon.uk/gwlnr

LNRs of Northern Ireland: https://muzon.uk/gilnr

Application Submission

Completed application forms should be submitted in accordance with the GMFF award application procedure.

Before applying, please check that all claimed references are listed in the BLNRA Official List and that the required award fee has been paid.


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