This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/sep/10/royal-conservation-dynasty
The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
Next version
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Can the royals become a great conservation dynasty? | Can the royals become a great conservation dynasty? |
| (8 days later) | |
| Prince William has spoken of his desire that his son, George, will one day "pick up the bug of conservation" and share his family's passion for wildlife conservation and Africa. | Prince William has spoken of his desire that his son, George, will one day "pick up the bug of conservation" and share his family's passion for wildlife conservation and Africa. |
| In an interview, the Duke of Cambridge says it would be "terrifying and very sad" if elephants and rhinos became extinct, and expresssed his wish to build on his father's work. | In an interview, the Duke of Cambridge says it would be "terrifying and very sad" if elephants and rhinos became extinct, and expresssed his wish to build on his father's work. |
| For decades, Prince Charles has campaigned on everything from organic farming to climate change, rainforests and fishing, becoming increasingly more outspoken. President of WWF UK (his father Philip was also a president and co-founder), he set up the Prince's Rainforest Group in 2007 to find practical solutions to slow tropical deforestation and combat climate change. He addressed the UN international climate summit in Copenhagen in 2009 and the following year gave a keynote speech to the Oslo climate and forest conference. | For decades, Prince Charles has campaigned on everything from organic farming to climate change, rainforests and fishing, becoming increasingly more outspoken. President of WWF UK (his father Philip was also a president and co-founder), he set up the Prince's Rainforest Group in 2007 to find practical solutions to slow tropical deforestation and combat climate change. He addressed the UN international climate summit in Copenhagen in 2009 and the following year gave a keynote speech to the Oslo climate and forest conference. |
| Charles spoke in January about how the prospect of becoming a grandfather had spurred his environmental beliefs, saying he did not want the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's child to ask him why he had not done more to tackle issues such as climate change. | Charles spoke in January about how the prospect of becoming a grandfather had spurred his environmental beliefs, saying he did not want the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's child to ask him why he had not done more to tackle issues such as climate change. |
| William has increasingly joined forces with his father. In May, they hosted a summit of international law-enforcement and wildlife groups which called for a "war on poachers" to stop the $15bn illegal trade in endangered wildlife. | William has increasingly joined forces with his father. In May, they hosted a summit of international law-enforcement and wildlife groups which called for a "war on poachers" to stop the $15bn illegal trade in endangered wildlife. |
| Earlier in the year, William, who is the patron of Tusk Trust, recorded a video message that was played at the opening of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora summit, warning that action must be taken to tackle illegal wildlife crime: | Earlier in the year, William, who is the patron of Tusk Trust, recorded a video message that was played at the opening of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora summit, warning that action must be taken to tackle illegal wildlife crime: |
"If not, we could soon see some populations of these creatures or even an entire species disappear from the wild. We simply must not let this catastrophe unfold." | "If not, we could soon see some populations of these creatures or even an entire species disappear from the wild. We simply must not let this catastrophe unfold." |
| Conservation has run in many prominent British families over the last century. So how do the Windsors stack up? And who else deserves to be mentioned? | Conservation has run in many prominent British families over the last century. So how do the Windsors stack up? And who else deserves to be mentioned? |
| The Goldsmiths | The Goldsmiths |
| Edward "Teddy" Goldsmith was acclaimed as the "godfather of green", founding the Ecologist magazine and the Ecology party, which later became the Green party. His nephew, Zac Goldsmith, went on to edit the magazine before being elected Conservative MP for Richmond Park & North Kingston in 2010, where he has spearheaded a campaign against Heathrow expansion. | Edward "Teddy" Goldsmith was acclaimed as the "godfather of green", founding the Ecologist magazine and the Ecology party, which later became the Green party. His nephew, Zac Goldsmith, went on to edit the magazine before being elected Conservative MP for Richmond Park & North Kingston in 2010, where he has spearheaded a campaign against Heathrow expansion. |
| The Rothschilds | The Rothschilds |
| Charles Rothschild (1877-1923) created the UK's first nature reserves at a time when habitats were rapidly losing ground to rapid industrialisation. A scion of what was then the richest family in the world, he and his brother were far more interested in natural history than furthering the Rothschild banking dynasty. In 1912, he set up the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves, an organisation committed to identifying and protecting the country's finest wildlife areas and the forerunner of The Wildlife Trusts partnership. | Charles Rothschild (1877-1923) created the UK's first nature reserves at a time when habitats were rapidly losing ground to rapid industrialisation. A scion of what was then the richest family in the world, he and his brother were far more interested in natural history than furthering the Rothschild banking dynasty. In 1912, he set up the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves, an organisation committed to identifying and protecting the country's finest wildlife areas and the forerunner of The Wildlife Trusts partnership. |
| Charles had already bought Wicken Fen and Woodwalton Fen, and by 1915 had prepared a list of 284 sites that deserved attention, from the Farne Islands and the Norfolk Broads in England, Tregaron Bog in Wales, Caen Lochan Glen in Scotland, and Lough Neagh in Ireland. His brother Walter (1868-1937) became a zoologist who set up a a vast private natural history museum at his home at Tring Park, Hertfordshire, and had a giraffe named after him. Charles's daughter Miriam (1908-2005) became a pioneering natural scientist and entomologist – and a world authority on fleas. Brother Victor (1910-1990) was also a zoologist and scientist, publishing works on fertilisation and animal classification. | Charles had already bought Wicken Fen and Woodwalton Fen, and by 1915 had prepared a list of 284 sites that deserved attention, from the Farne Islands and the Norfolk Broads in England, Tregaron Bog in Wales, Caen Lochan Glen in Scotland, and Lough Neagh in Ireland. His brother Walter (1868-1937) became a zoologist who set up a a vast private natural history museum at his home at Tring Park, Hertfordshire, and had a giraffe named after him. Charles's daughter Miriam (1908-2005) became a pioneering natural scientist and entomologist – and a world authority on fleas. Brother Victor (1910-1990) was also a zoologist and scientist, publishing works on fertilisation and animal classification. |
| The Scotts | The Scotts |
| Sir Peter Scott (1909-1989), founder Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, co-founder of WWF and prolific wildlife artist, was the only son of the doomed explorer Scott of the Antarctic. He is considered the 20th century's greatest conservationist, campaigning successfully for the Ramsar treaty to protect wetlands, protection of the Antarctic, banning of whaling, and the red list of endangered species. For almost four decades, he worked in close partnership with his wife, Philippa (1918-2010). In the words of Sir David Attenborough: "The Scott partnership put conservation on the map at a time when conservation was not a word people understood, at least not in the natural history context." His daughter, Dafila (the old scientific name for a pintail duck) trained as a zoologist and is now a wildlife artist. His son was named Falcon, which was also the polar explorer's middle name. | Sir Peter Scott (1909-1989), founder Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, co-founder of WWF and prolific wildlife artist, was the only son of the doomed explorer Scott of the Antarctic. He is considered the 20th century's greatest conservationist, campaigning successfully for the Ramsar treaty to protect wetlands, protection of the Antarctic, banning of whaling, and the red list of endangered species. For almost four decades, he worked in close partnership with his wife, Philippa (1918-2010). In the words of Sir David Attenborough: "The Scott partnership put conservation on the map at a time when conservation was not a word people understood, at least not in the natural history context." His daughter, Dafila (the old scientific name for a pintail duck) trained as a zoologist and is now a wildlife artist. His son was named Falcon, which was also the polar explorer's middle name. |
| The Traverses | The Traverses |
| Will Travers has been campaigning on wildlife issues since he lived in Kenya with his parents, actors Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers, while they made the film Born Free. It told the true story of George and Joy Adamson's fight to return Elsa the lioness, the lion they raised from cub to adult, to the wild. In 1984 Will and his father co-founded the charitable organisation which later became the Born Free Foundation, which aims to end the suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation globally. | Will Travers has been campaigning on wildlife issues since he lived in Kenya with his parents, actors Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers, while they made the film Born Free. It told the true story of George and Joy Adamson's fight to return Elsa the lioness, the lion they raised from cub to adult, to the wild. In 1984 Will and his father co-founded the charitable organisation which later became the Born Free Foundation, which aims to end the suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation globally. |
| Asked whether there was there an expectation to follow in his parents' footsteps, Will said: | Asked whether there was there an expectation to follow in his parents' footsteps, Will said: |
|
|
| I also asked him why he thought conservation ran through families and passed between generations. | I also asked him why he thought conservation ran through families and passed between generations. |
"Any activity driven by passion and compassion is naturally infectious. For example, in my case it was impossible to be around two people, my parents, and witness their energy, drive, enthusiasm, outrage and joy and not be affected. Compassionate conservation – a form of conservation that places the welfare of the individual animal at the heart of the conservation effort – is something Born Free strives for every day. My son has just been volunteering on one of our projects in Africa and my daughter says that when she is a famous actress she'll support what we do – it doesn't get any better than that!" | "Any activity driven by passion and compassion is naturally infectious. For example, in my case it was impossible to be around two people, my parents, and witness their energy, drive, enthusiasm, outrage and joy and not be affected. Compassionate conservation – a form of conservation that places the welfare of the individual animal at the heart of the conservation effort – is something Born Free strives for every day. My son has just been volunteering on one of our projects in Africa and my daughter says that when she is a famous actress she'll support what we do – it doesn't get any better than that!" |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |
Previous version
1
Next version