The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has today announced that His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge has become Patron of the BTO, assuming the patronage from His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh who has held the role for over 30 years.
The patronage reflects the close alignment between two of The Duke of Cambridge’s long-standing areas of interest – supporting communities to protect their natural environment for future generations, and helping children and young people to build their skills, confidence and aspirations – and the growing body of work that the BTO is doing in these areas.
In a time of lockdown, much of society has become more aware that access to nature and greenspace offers solace and inspiration. BTO volunteers gather the all-important data that fuel our understanding of the natural world, providing a solid evidence base that supports informed decision-making and conservation action. Through active participation, BTO volunteers not only make an important contribution to society but they also receive mental health and well-being benefits.
BTO is passionate about spreading these public benefits throughout society. With the support of His Royal Highness, the charity looks forward to delivering the benefits of public participation in science through nature to many people, including those communities that have traditionally been under-represented. BTO is currently working with its Youth Advisory Panel to deliver a diverse, vibrant community of young birders with accessible youth-led opportunities, inspiring young people across society to engage with nature and science.
Dr Andy Clements, BTO Chief Executive, said “I am delighted that The Duke of Cambridge has become our Patron, following on from his grandfather who worked so tirelessly on our behalf. We hope that we will be able to support The Duke’s strong interest in protecting the environment through our evidence-based work around environmental issues in the UK.”
19 Replies to “BTO press release – new Patron”
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Why do they need a Royal Patron? This one has only a slightly better track record on shooting protected/endangered Wildlife than his grandfather does, surely. Isn’t that all a bit old fashioned and not necessarily likely to reach out to some of the target audiences they hope to reach?
Blimey, what are they thinking?!
I don’t think they are Tim!
Yes strikes me as an extremely maladroit step. He says charitably.
Am I the only one to think Royal patrons are an outdated anachronism? The Duke of Cambridge is someone who on the one hand is chums with David Attenborough but on the other partakes in driven grouse shooting with all the negative environmental impacts that this brings. We need radical change in the uplands. Re-wild Balmoral?
Trust he will now abandon all his shooting activities. With his new position as Patron of the BTO it would be a farce if he didn’t.
I imagine there are many replies to this news!! Mine?… Unless the Duke of Cambridge’s first statement as Patron is to denounce ALL wildlife killing for the benefit of all types of shooting, and to say he will fight to achieve this, and stop taking part himself, then I will resign after over 15 years membership.
A large number of comments on the BTO facebook page announcement of this, none of them positive. No responses from BTO. Wonder if they are regretting it?
Interesting that BTO dont seem to have responded on facebook or publically-available bits of twitter to the big response this news has elicited there…..definitely on point of not renewing or cancelling membership
I would have thought they’d have expected the response they have received. They always claim to put data before all else, but have they put ‘prestige’ before common sense in this case?
When William stops shooting grouse for sport, recreation, or whatever he justifies his gun toting habit as being, then he’ll be a worthy candidate for BTO Patron. His first born, George, has already been taken by his mother Catherine, to see daddy at a shoot. Whatever is the BTO thinking of?
What a nonsense! A case of cap-doffing stupidity from an organisation that should know better.
The “good old Duke” hasn’t exactly had a friendly reception so far at least on this blog and I think all the comments are quite right. In this day and age the royal family, with a few exceptions, is out of date and is a hang over from the Victorian age It needs a radical shake up and a radical change of attitudes . Let’s see them campaigning to halt moorland burning, making it illegal to snare and kill our wildlife and to ban driven grouse shooting and all the horrors that go with this horrible so called “sport”.
I confess to a quandary here.
One the one hand, the BTO is a science-based outfit. I always think that it provides the ammuntion for the RSPB to use. As such, it should not matter a hill of beans who is the patron – when did the Duke of Edinburgh last do anything public on behalf of my BTO? I can’t remember.
On the other hand, I guess that the overwhelming majority of BTO members are ‘conservation-minded’ if not actually active conservationists. And I include most (if not all BTO staff) in this assumption. As one who has watched and enjoyed birds for over 60 years, having a grouse-killing, pheasant-shooting aristocrat as patron sticks in my throat.
My mother was a true-blue Tory – having survived fire-bomb raids that destroyed parts of her Sheffield hospital, killing some of her friends and colleagues, she thought the world of Winston Churchill. Nevertheless, as she grew older, her tendencies moved towards republicanism. I followed a similar trajectory, only holding on to the idea of a monarchy because of the frightening prospect of President Johnson, or worse President Rees-Mogg – OhGod! I need to go and lie down in a darkened room for a bit!.
Better now! Where was I? Oh yes, i would like an elected head of state who was above politics – no one who has served in either Commons or Lords would be eligible to stand. Of the present bunch, I would probably vote for E II R – the alternative royals seem pretty dire, and Judy Dench probably wouldn’t be interested. But that is beside the point: whether we have a monarch or not, I see absolutely no reason why the BTO needs royal patronage. I don’t think that it would add a single member to its ranks – or at least not one who would get up before dawn to do a BBS survey!
I can see that the RSPB probably need one – they are after all the ROYAL Society for the Protection of Birds. But the field-orientated, bird-ringing, nest-finding, WeBS-ing, BBS-ing, WBBS-ing, Atlassing BTO could (and in my view should) carry on doing what it does best without some royal figurehead – whether or not he enjoys killing pheasants and grouse for fun.
This is a ridiculous appointment. How is it possible for whoever made the decision to invite this wildlife shooter from a family that on several occasions has refused to condemn the killing of raptors, especially Hen Harriers on grouse moors to be patron of BTO. One word comes to mind NUMPTY! Patronage is an outdated and outmoded idea anyway, from the age of forelock tugging and I for one have never been in favour of that. If they must have a patron have somebody appropriate not some bloody tosser in tweed! I have been a BTO member for almost 50 years but I may not be much longer if this remains the case.
I have mixed thoughts. Yes I am sickened that the Duke can be given such an honour when he has been in a position where he could have had a very positive influence on the Grouse shooting world but he has instead chosen to always put the interests of wildlife shooting before conservation and spend his life in the U.K. hiding from conservationists. In reality I expect he will follow the example of his grandparents and have absolutely nothing to do with the conservation organisations they are supposed to be patrons.
I am then a little bit pleased that with the small chance he actually might show an interest in conservation science that he might he hear the views of some conservationists and not just the constant delusional dribble from the shooters. Charles has obviously has had some good climate science influences in his life. I hope William is challenged to change his attitude to conservation and shooting through his engagements with BTO.
If he ever got to the point of commenting on any of the problems shooting causes I think it would rock the shooting world. I imagine the shooting organisations will be very keen for him to remain as distant to BTO as Prince Philip.
Which one is he again? Was it him or his brother who was definitely not involved in shooting hen harriers at Sandringham?
Still, good move by him, I suppose it gives some badly needed credibility to a larely pointless existence.
The truth is that in the modern world royal patronage benefits the royal family more than those it patronises.
I’m not a member, unlikely ever to be. But I would imagine this feels a real kick in the plums for those folk up at 5am doing the bird surveys on grouse moors he guests at.
All above points considered, but small beginnings ?, give the lad a chance.
Whatever, don’t stop supporting BTO.