Category Archives: Countryside

Conservation, Countryside

Autumn Reflections. Legend… Legacy… Retirement?

Autumn arrives with the sad loss of a great and truly inspiring woman, Dame Dr Jane Goodall, aged 91. To say hers was a life well lived or that she made an impact are gross understatements. Like many, my social media feed has been alive with shared messages of tribute, photos and video clips.

Most of us will be forgotten within a generation, a few, and not always the best, become part of history. Jane became a legend in her lifetime and its hoped will be remembered for generations. Why? She was just an ordinary woman? That in itself is a thing… she discovered tool creation and use in chimpanzees and their emotions and social structure and did so without being a qualified scientist or a man! Both of which meant she had to face derision, sexism and scepticism. However, with her character and some supporters, gained a PhD (without having an undergrad degree), used the fact she was photogenic and promoted chimpanzees to the limelight and became a “celebrity”.

For me, its not the ground-breaking and painstaking work studying chimps and reporting on it – as much as that was so significant and important – it’s her character, passion and enthusiasm and the work that she developed after – connecting people to nature, especially young people and being a UN Messenger for Peace. Her focus on ‘hope’ is a message we can take in many situations. The Roots and Shoots movement she founded literally put down roots and grew and will continue to thrive across the world.

I was among many that were fortunate to meet her as well as hear her talk. In the several meetings I had it was clear that she was interested, cared, understood that her voice was important and powerful and inspiring, and she genuinely believed in the power of the individual and simple action. On one occasion she signed my penguin copy of ‘Through a Window’ and I got and embrace and kiss after showing her the work I had led on creating the interpretation story for ‘Budongo Trail’ chimpanzee house at Edinburgh Zoo. (This actually featured a tool-use exhibit using some of her National Geographic film).

I also remember how her ‘keynote guest talk’ at the International Primate Society congress in Entebbe Uganda was cut into two by arrival of President Musevni and she shone through that with professionalism and humour, as well as uncompromising comment on environmental matters.

Another aspect of Jane’s life that I reflect upon is the concept of ‘retirement’. She worked right until the end, indeed the ‘world’ was her home as she spent so little time based ‘at home’ (300+ days a year attending events, lectures etc). This was because she felt she could still make a difference, and indeed her work past ‘retirement’ age was very impactful and effective.

Retirement is something we are told to plan for and in many societies there is state support provided. In UK this means a guaranteed state pension. With our longer lives on average ‘retirement’ can be for well over a decade. Meanwhile, working people contribute to employer pension schemes and build a ‘pot’ of money to live on in retirement and some seem to have an expectation of the same standard of living as when employed… Personally, I will survive quite well on the state pension and my savings as I have never lived beyond my means or had a high salary. When should I retire? Some would say I have already done so. I only work part time and occasional contracts, largely by choice. I can enjoy the outdoors and country around me whilst fit enough to take long walks and hikes.

Over the last few months I have been very busy, a lot of this has been focused upon my voluntary role as Chair of the Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust. It is great to enjoy the work and impact of the small staff team, recruit new staff and new Trustees, meet with our Youth Council and enjoy the countryside and support the delivery on various projects.

I would always encourage people to volunteer and to consider Charity Trusteeship however don’t think it’s just a nice thing to do, to support and share your expertise, there is also the weight of responsibility in this role – and it is a legal one too. The amount of work involved varies but being a charity Chair is significant.  My tenure includes the retirement of the Trust Director (CEO) and unexpectedly this has included ‘extending’ the role by mutual agreement. So even when you plan to retire, be prepared!

All of this is happening as we enter autumn and the most beautiful tree colours are showing across the region, with Perthshire and ‘Big Tree Country’ being a hotspot for autumn magic. This year is also a ‘mast’ year with the oaks in particular producing a bumper crop of acorns. It has also seen an abundance of fungi.

Autumn is a time of change and transition to winter. There is in the beauty in seeing the colours and then the fall of the leaves gives hope for the spring when they return with new life. For some people in my work sphere of zoos and wildlife parks, particularly in the UK, this autumn brings challenge and bad news with cuts, redundancies and closure, so I hope that they can look forward to Spring even if that means changed role, location or career.

Remembering Jane Goodall once more “Without hope we will fall into apathy and do nothing, without hope you’re not going to roll up your sleeves and get out there and do something to change the world. Somehow we’ve got to give young people enough hope that they can carry on and believe in a better future”.

Conservation, Countryside, experience, Perthshire, Trees

2025 Changing Times

Winter will soon roll into Spring and a time of growth and renewal in nature. The snowdrops are great heralds of this and it is always a pleasure to see them. I am lucky to have some great displays of them nearby – and particularly Friar’s Den at Scone Palace Estate is always a good display. However, snowdrops are not native to the UK, having been introduced from Europe 300 years or so ago.

The snowdrop is not only a welcome sight but has medicinal properties too. It does raise the question for nature in general, do we value it more for aesthetics? for what it can do for us? what it can be sold for / economic value? And in today’s world does economic value out-Trump 🙂 the other ways of appreciating and valuing nature? The ‘environmental or ecosystem-services‘ provided by nature are largely under-valued and this impact’s decisions made on approving change of land use, eg in the past planting commercial forest on land that is important grassland or peat bog habitat and now huge solar-farm developments on agricultural land instead of on buildings and brown-field sites.

The winter in Scotland has also seen illegal wildlife release, lynx and some wild boar, widely covered in the news. This was undoubtedly irresponsible and unhelpful and can particularly entrench views and make it more difficult to discuss options with those opposed. Scare-mongering on possible negative impact, and the occasional actual negative event, is common with any reintroduction of a predator – there are continuing issues with birds of prey poisoning for example.

Going back to the snowdrops…. at the time they first appeared in the UK what many today photograph and think are the ‘beautiful Scottish hills’ were largely covered in trees and looked very different. There are places on a smallish scale that ‘rewilding’ is now occurring. The question that often arises is how will it be paid for? If the ecosystem services were given true value – including for example, holding water, limiting flooding and soil degradation – then there is a payback but its not the get rich quick that exploiting the environment brings. Ultimately act for today and tomorrow will pay the price, so act for tomorrow and all can benefit (but more equitably) and the billionaires won’t expand their fortunes on the same scale!

To this end, in a very small but effective way, I have been delighted to get involved in some tree-planting this year, as part of our Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust ‘Tree For Every Child’ project. Nearly 1,000 trees have been planted by school children and the community with us, on a site by the Dunkeld House Hotel Land Rover experience, as well as more trees around St Magdalene’s Hill, Perth, the Bunkhouse at Glassie Farm, Aberfeldy and school grounds.

The year ahead is going to be challenging for many of us, not least because of political change elsewhere. I hope that both Gaza and Ukraine get the chance to peacefully rebuild – not just the homes for people but also for nature. It’s known that engagement with the environment, nature and wildlife is good for mental health and well-being. So the more the better.

Conservation, Countryside, Perthshire, Training & Development, Trees, Workshop

Autumn Reflections

Autumn is a season of change and brings amazing colours, especially where I live in Perthshire, Scotland. It is a time to enjoy and celebrate, despite knowing the cold months of winter are coming.

Trees are under-appreciated and often ignored, unless they are ‘in the way’, present a hazard, fall after a big storm… but at this time of year many people do acknowledge them, enjoy their variety, size, colour and simple aesthetic beauty. You don’t have to know or understand the science and process of leaf change to appreciate it, and its freely available to all – although I know some can find getting into the countryside more difficult.

Being Chair of Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust [PKCT] I have a role, alongside my fellow Trustees, in supporting and encouraging access to the countryside. We are fortunate to have a brilliant small staff team and the support of various Trusts and organisations to pay for their work. So thanks to them. Many people will enjoy a country walk, cycle or ride, or just a stop at the views and not know that PKCT has had a hand in helping them. Our public-facing activity is gaining profile, especially beginning to attract a younger audience, with ‘Discovery & Engagement’ activity including a Watch group, tree-planting and a Youth Council. So I am hopeful for the future.

Encouraging an interest in nature and the countryside can also begin with a small patch of garden, the local park, having a pet to care for, visiting a zoo or farm park.

At the start of October I was in South Wales and made a return to the lovely Meadows Wildlife Park near Caerphilly. It was great to work with the staff team and help develop their public engagement, education and communication skills.

The Park’s rebrand in late Spring has been very successful with lots more visitors through the summer and there is continued development of the site for enhanced animal and visitor experience. The staff team are friendly and enthusiastic and it was great to work with staff from a range of roles. It was also so nice to receive a message of thanks afterwards that included:

“Your deliverance of excitement and enthusiasm teaching the team to be confident and inspire interest in educating and welcoming our visitors really nailed the brief.”