Tony Juniper is the new President of the Wildlife Trusts.
Tony says ‘It is a huge honour and privilege to be declared as the new President of The Wildlife Trusts. This organisation is the very backbone of conservation in the UK and the work being undertaken right across the country, in the places where we all live, is vital in bringing huge benefits for people, nature and our economy. I am very much looking forward to adding what I can to the already huge impact of this amazing network.
Many people have become used to hearing that looking after our environment and conserving nature is an unaffordable luxury, especially during times of economic hardship. Nothing could be further from the truth. The more research we have the more we see that nature is not a distraction from our interests as a country, but is essential for our health, wealth and security. At a time of rising population, increased demand for resources and pressure on the land it is more vital than ever that this message is heard.
The Wildlife Trusts are already working alongside thousands of people and having a huge positive impact on the environment. But it is time to step up the conservation game in the UK. We’ve lost far too much of our wild places and the job now must be to stop the decline of what is left and restore much of what has already gone. More ambition is needed from others, including our Government, which in its election manifesto promised to lay the foundations for the restoration of nature in a generation. That is a bold and welcome goal and I’m looking forward to helping turn it into action.‘
It will be interesting to see whether this excellent new appointment marks a rediscovery of the Wildlife Trusts’ campaigning zeal…
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He could start by helping to save butterfly world, if the plan is to build on that land, all the efforts to build up the numbers of native species will be lost.
Just the tonic they need!
‘Tonic…’ Very good. Anything to do with gin (juniper)?
From what I’ve heard about this man, and having just read What Nature does for Britain – which in a most readable and cool-headed way has definitely helped my wider knowledge about conservation in the UK – I’m sure this appointment can only be A Good Thing.
However, even after much WT/local WT website searching, I’m not really clear about the relationship between the national Wildlife Trusts and the county ones. I assume national WT (who, apparently, are The Royal Society for Wildlife Trusts, so I wonder why they don’t use that full title?) make strategic decisions, and county WTs local ones, but is that it? And if county ones are financially independent, where does funding for national WT come from? I feel as if it would be helpful to know more, so I will ask them. In the meantime, can anyone explain, in a simple paragraph?
The WTs are a bottom up loose organisation, unlike RSPB which is centralised and top down. So each County (/Country eg Scotland) Trust is an entirely independent organisation with its own history, finances, trustees, members, policies, etc.
The Trusts have chosen to work together on national issues, hence the RSWT (which is the title they do use) which is also a free standing organisation handling such matters at a UK level. Individual county/country Trusts pay a membership levy to help support the RSWT.
Both models have their pros and cons, generally WTs are closer to their local memberships and populations than RSPB would be, and their diversity means that different things can be tried out, and programmes and PR can be tailored to a local situation.
On the other hand RSPB is a much more formidable campaigning organisation at national level, speaking with one voice not 40+ different ones, a strong central science team, office in Brussels, etc. They are extremely good at delivering their chosen conservation outcomes on their reserves, WTs have always been a bit more hit and miss.
I’d like to be able to say that the two approaches have been equally successful in different ways, but over my career the RSPB has out-competed the WTs in a very Darwinian sense, for income, membership, and influence. I’ve watched the decline of the WTs as a national force with great sadness – they have something distinctive and valuable to bring to the table alongside the likes of RSPB.
Getting all the 40+ Trusts onto the same page has always been difficult, but hopefully the new President will bring some campaigning zeal back into the WT movement.
Jbc, thanks for your explanation. Comparing it with RSPB helped my understanding, though it seems as if there are more cons than pros with the bottom up and/or looser structure of the national WT. I know little of the politics of it all, but perhaps Tony Juniper’s appointment is meant to move things on in a more active and positive way… Here’s hoping.
‘[The RSPB] are extremely good at delivering their chosen conservation outcomes on their reserves, WTs have always been a bit more hit and miss’. A very good point, and one that really concerns me. While ‘generally WTs are closer to their local memberships……..and their diversity means that different things can be tried out, and programmes and PR can be tailored to a local situation’ unfortunately it can also mean responses to widespread problems can be completely lacking in particular Wildlife Trusts, often simply because knowledge of them, or interest in them, is lacking at a local level. It’s something that I’d really like to see being addressed and hopefully TJ can make an impact here.
Good luck and fortune on your appointment. I look forward to you leading the wildlife trusts in support of the many battles that there are with regards to the environment / conservation, particularly the shocking RSPB report of raptor persecution that is apparent regarding UK shooting interests.
Time for action and support for @MarkAvery petition on a Grouse shoots ban. Please use your influence on Gov’t and other conservation organisations to create a wider debate on what is happening in our uplands and wider countryside. Many thanks.
First off; a very welcome appointment. I’m particularly encouraged by the statement ‘it is time to step up the conservation game in the UK’. Secondly; good point Daphne. Mark; worth a blog post on the subject perhaps?
Let’s hope he decides to push the Trusts to campaign for the recovery of…..juniper…. a species which is verging on extinction from over burnt and over-grazed moorlands….
Circus – good point!