Today is my last day at work for the RSPB. After just over 25 years I am moving on.
They have been a wonderful 25 years – I have so many stories from them I ought to write a book – now there’s an idea!
My successor is Martin Harper – formerly of Plantlife and Wildlife and Countryside Link – who has worked at the RSPB for 7 years. He’s a great guy and I wish him every success and happiness in the role.
I can’t leave a note saying ‘The money’s all gone’ – although I had a go at spending it – but there will, I’m sure, be a whole load of issues which will move forward quicker and better now I’m gone. I had my own personal take on farming, raptor persecution, nature reserves, reintroductions, climate change etc and a new person heading up these issues will have their own take on them. RSPB policy is set by our Council but within that policy framework staff have a lot of freedom on how they try to deliver the goods. I had mine and Martin will have his. Change is good.
And next week I am off for a 6 week trip – travelling from coast to coast in the USA watching birds, seeing scenery, meeting conservationists and having a break. I hope that I’ll be able to make the technology work and that this blog will be, for that period, insights from a UK birder and conservationist abroad in the USA – Around the States in 40 days.
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Good luck in everything you do in the future Mark. We will miss you in your role as Conservation Director at the RSPB and would like to take this opportunity to say a BIG thank you for all your hard work. Your support for us here on the North Kent Marshes, especially during the ‘No Airport at Cliffe’ campaign, will never be forgotten. Your good humour got us through some pretty tough campaigning.
We met Martin with you in London at the launch of the RSPB ‘Stepping Up for Nature’ campaign and we know that he will continue to ‘deliver the goods’ with good humour.
Enjoy your well earned break and please keep us posted on your new blog, we look forward to it with interest.
Thank you again
Gill, Joan and George on behalf of all of us here on the North Kent Marshes
Gill, Joan and George – it’s been a pleasure working with you over the years. You are an impressive bunch and we, the RSPB, learned a lot from you about how to campaign. And I just guess that the North Kent Marshes are never completely safe from someone spotting a large undeveloped area of land and thinking it’s just the place mfor – a road crossing? a port? hundreds of wind turbines? a new factory? a supermarket? a new town? Something anyway. So let’s make sure we are vigilant.