Back to nature

One of the perils of becoming a manager in any organisation is the distance that may develop between you and the very thing that got you into the business in the first place. In my case, I see little wildlife from my desk (apart from the very obliging long-tailed tit that occasionally sits in the bush outside the window. However, every so often there is the very real treat of visiting one of the Trust’s 60 plus nature reserves.

This week I had the very real thrill of being out in the woods when I hosted a visit by some of The Trust’s loyal members to our Lower Woods Nature Reserve. This wonderful square mile of ancient woodland was gifted to Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust by the estate of the late Duke of Beaufort. Since the gift of the site, we have been able to invest in essential fencing, gates, signs, bridges and all the other infrastructure that is essential for effective and safe nature reserve management.

There is still much to be done in Lower Woods and on the other Nature Reserves that The Trust manages. However, the outlook for major new projects is looking difficult. Sources of grant aid will be hit hard by the twin impacts of the 2012 Olympics and the recession. The Olympics will prove a real drain on government funds as commitments are honoured and the legacy is ensured and the recession is already shrinking the income of commercial supporters and the investment income of private trusts.

But Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust withstood both the 1980s and 1990s recessions and actually grew in size and capacity. There is a tendency in the media to dwell on the glum side of events. Investing in wildlife is the one good news story that ensures better future returns than the speculative hedge funds of the City.

It was certainly good to be able to share this optimistic outlook yesterday with the 70 members who shared a great walk in over 600 acres of bluebell covered woodland.

Crossing the river at Lower Woods (c) Margaret McGlone