Conservation Conversation

What species inspired you as a child?

I was inspired by streams and land-forming processes rather than wildlife.  However, I do remember as a child we used to collect wimberries (bilberries) off the Yorkshire moors and make the most amazing pies.  I had never realised how badly they were suppressed by overgrazing until revisiting childhood haunts in my home town of Rochdale to discover blooming heaths and oak/birch woodlands where previously sheep had roamed unchecked. 

What concerns you most about the natural world in the next two decades?

My main concerns are the continuing population and economic growth that places unsustainable demands on natural resources and irreparable loss of biodiversity globally. Although some good progress has been made through international conventions and bilateral support, the policy response is not adequate to address the scale of the problems.   

What would you do with a £1 million grant for nature conservation?

I would invest in an overseas development project to conserve biodiversity and improve local livelihoods and well-being. A key part of such a scheme would be to build enduring capacity to enable people to manage their own issues and adapt to change. 

What do you do when you’re not saving the world?

Fell running, orienteering, and cross-country running.  I enjoy the camaraderie of competition as well as being outdoors, experiencing the wilder part of the country.

What would you like to achieve in your time at JNCC?

I want JNCC to have a real impact on government decision-making and influencing other national and international institutions to tackle conservation to make better (right) decisions for biodiversity and its sustainable use.

What is your favourite place?

Dunraven Bay, Vale of Glamorgan. This is a fantastic coastal site including a Sabellaria reef exposed at low tide, Shore Dock on the strand line, cliffs, rock and waterfalls, fossils and a nudist beach (not to be confused). Nature in the raw!

Who is your human hero in the natural world?

Bill Oddie or Johnny Kingdom.  They make wildlife accessible to more people (but drive my mother-in-law mad!)

What’s your pet hate in nature conservation?

Nature conservation!  The idea of drawing lines around the best areas for conservation, binding them in regulations and trying to turn the clock back to some perceived former glory.  Ecosystems and biodiversity are dynamic and unconstrained. We get many benefits from them and I think nature conservation should be about recognising and promoting these wider benefits, and allowing ecosystems and biodiversity to adapt while continuing to deliver these benefits. Tricky to achieve!

Desert Island disc?

Anne McCue – “Nobody’s Sleeping” from the album Roll.  A kind of fusion of indie/folk from Australia.  She is a fresh, versatile Australian singer and the song I first heard on the radio when I was travelling to a CBD meeting in Montreal.  I hired a car, bought the album and played the CD over and over again.

Place you’d most like to visit?

Patagonia – slowly on a bike.

When I’m reincarnated, I’m coming back as………?

A monk!  (Not to be immersed in the everyday issues and focused on other things.  Or maybe a Youth Hostel warden – I could go running every day…….)