CJS 25 year anniversary, birthday wishes from Plantlife, our featured charity in 2017
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Way back in the last century, I earned a living in the
commercial world. I was spending more
and more of my leisure time outdoors close to wildlife, an avid birder,
enjoying work less and less and finally deciding that a career in nature
conservation would be a good move. But
would there ever be a job that suited me?
Countryside Jobs Service, I was told. It was pretty new then and that’s where I
started looking. My first memory of
trying to change career is of learning as much as I could about ecology and
habitat management. My second is
searching through CJS ads. There were
some jobs! Maybe I would see one I might
be able to do. I can’t actually remember
where I saw my first conservation job advertised but either CJS or the
Yorkshire Post led me to the Wildlife Trust, then to the RSPB and now
Plantlife.
And I haven’t looked back since. Although now I’ve typed that, I’ve realised
it’s not true. I look back regularly at
all that’s happened since I took that new job and the wonderful conservation
activity that so many great colleagues and volunteers allowed me to play a
small part in. Nature still faces huge
challenges but looking back at the results we’ve all achieved must give us
confidence that we can succeed.
What’s the biggest change over the years? Well, personally, the birder from the last
century was quickly convinced (and rightly so!) than the rest of the natural
world was just as intriguing as the avian bits.
Hand lens and moth trap, as well as binoculars, now. I’m now working for Plantlife, conserving
plants and fungi. We all know where wild
flowers lead, wildlife follows. And, across the sector, it’s been really
heartening to see rivalry replaced with ever more co-operation and joint
projects. Just as I started writing
this, I checked the CJS website and what did I see? A vacancy in the Back from the Brink team
alongside the Plantlife logo. There’s no
better example than England’s biggest species recovery partnership of how we’re
working together to do even more for nature.
And thanks CJS for playing your part as you have for 25
years.
Michael Krause, Acting Chief Executive Plantlife