The other week saw the 25th anniversary of the appointment of Dr Gary Mantle as director of the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. As a trustee, I was particularly pleased to note this, as I know how much Gary has contributed to the ideas that underpin the Trust's work – and to a wildlife-rich Wiltshire.
The Trust's vision is a sustainable future for wildlife and people. This is based on a Wiltshire of living landscapes, connected green spaces full of wildlife and flourishing native plant species enjoyed and valued by everyone, where people live in sustainable and resilient communities with a high quality of life achieved with minimum environmental impact. This clear understanding of the connection of people and wildlife is uncommon, and is a tribute to Gary's vision, leadership, and capabilities more generally. It's a pity all the wildlife trusts do not share it, but that's another story.
Gary recently noted that:
"in my first [1990] Annual Report, I asked one of the Trust’s founders, Lady Radnor to offer her views on the challenges ahead. I was, and still am struck by her foresight and recognition of the threats we face (see below). At its inception the purpose of the Trust its was summarised as ensuring “that there is some nature left in (say) 25 years time.” During the past 25 years, across the UK, there has a substantial decline in wildlife. It is, however, of some comfort to recognise that in Wiltshire, nature has fared better than in most other parts of the country. Of course, this cannot all be attributed to the efforts of WWT, but there can be little doubt that our county would be in a worse state had it not been for the work of the Trust!
This is what the insightful Dowager Countess of Radnor had to say back in 1990:
“As a founding member I can remember what it was like when we started, nearly thirty years ago. We thought then, very innocently, that if we could stop egg-collecting and the men with butterfly-nets, if we could have a few ‘preserves’ for special species and if we could persuade government to ban some of the more deadly pesticides then all would be well. Alas, the end of the tunnel was illusory; the tunnel has grown longer and darker and taken some very nasty turns. We now know it isn’t only a matter of sprays and ploughing. The lands and the seas, the air itself are endangered and it is no longer the blue butterflies and the birds that are at risk, but we ourselves who may soon be in the Red Book.”
Meanwhile, the Trust continues with Gary still at the helm. Long may this persist ...
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