08 The role of wild land intackling climate change

16 Learning the lessons from Beauly-Denny

22 Rowing solo on a wildocean journey

JOHN MUIR TRUST

JOURNAL48 spring 10

WILD LAND

A FAST DISAPPEARING

RESOURCE

Wild areas throughout Britain are under threat.

Your voice counts. Support our wild land campaign.

www.jmt.org/wildland or call 01796 484936

strengthen ourvoice. stand upfor wild land.join us

CONTENTS 01

R E G U L A R S

02 Foreword from the Chief Executive

04 News round-up

28 Classic texts Seton Gordon’s Cairngorms, An Anthology, Compiled by Hamish Brown

29 Book reviews The Dawn of Green, Manchester, Thirlmere and Modern Environmentalism; Wildlands Philanthropy, The Great American Tradition

30 Opinion: You can’t eat scenery Graham White on why we should adopt the US ethos of nature conservation

32 Contact us

F E AT U R E S

08 Copenhagen and beyondWild land and climate change

12 Culture change A new direction for management of wild deer

14 Connect and conserve International travel as a force for good

16 Making a stand Learning the lessons from Beauly-Denny

20 Park of plenty The work of Conservación Patagonica

22 Wild at heart Rowing solo across the Indian Ocean

24 100,000 Awards ... and counting The John Muir Award goes from strength to strength

26 Fuel for thought Supporting community energy needs on Skye

27 Life through a lens A photographic celebration of Scotland’s wild places

The John Muir Trust is the leading wild land conservation charity in the UK. Working with people and communities to conserve, campaign and inspire, we seek to ensure that wild land is protected and that wild places are valued by and for everyone.

www.jmt.org

BECOME A GUARDIAN OF WILD PLACES

JOIN THE JOHN MUIR TRUST

Cover photography

The mountain of Blà Bheinn, Isle of Skye, has long been a source of inspiration formountaineers, poets, artists andphotographers

Inside front cover photography

Ladhar Bheinn, on the southern shores ofLoch Hourn, Knoydart, safeguarded by theJohn Muir Trust

PHOTOGRAPHY: KEITH BRAME

FOREWORD02 Broadening the Trust’s influenceacross the UK and beyond

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Welcome to the spring edition of theJohn Muir Trust Journal. Having attendeda very well organised John Muir Trustmembers’ day in Bristol last year I becameacutely aware of our UK dimension andthe need to reflect this in our outlookand ambition. We are delighted thereforeto report increased take-up of the JohnMuir Award in England and it is nosurprise that we passed our 100,000thaward milestone with a participant from Cumbria (see page 24).

While devolution has had many positivebenefits for Scotland and Wales – notleast in instilling a greater sense ofnational awareness and pride – it doespresent challenges to organisations with a UK-wide constituency such asours. This is especially apparent in ourpolicy work where we keep one eye onWestminster and another on Holyrood.One day I hope to expand our influencefurther to Cardiff, Brussels and beyond.

To emphasise the value of lookingbeyond our own national boundaries,this edition of the Journal has somethingof an international flavour as we look atthe experiences and challenges facingthose working elsewhere in the world.Taking such an international perspectivehelps crystallise our understandingabout what we have – and what weshould fight for – at home.

In the pages that follow, we highlight the plight of wild lands in Patagonia, how international travel can be a forcefor good and celebrate incredible journeysof discovery in the Indian Ocean. Closerto home, we also lament the decision ofthe Scottish Government to grant consentto a line of huge electricity pylons thatwill march through the very heart ofScotland’s beautiful wild landscape.

We open, however, by examining theimplications of the collective failure tosecure a legal agreement on reducinggreenhouse gas emissions at Copenhagen.The Trust has sometimes found itselfarguing on the opposite side of the tableto other environmental organisationswhen it comes to our country’s energyfuture – in particular regarding the use of remote and wild places to generaterenewable energy.

The facts are often hazy, the issuescomplex and the moral argumentshazardous. However, we stand firm inour belief that renewable energy targetscan be met without industrialisation of our most precious landscapes and that wild land should be protected andmanaged to deliver multiple benefits.

And if climate change is not a controversialenough topic, how about a change indirection for managing Scotland’s wilddeer population? Turn to page 12 to readhow the Trust plans to address some ofthe conflict surrounding one of our mosticonic wild land species.

Enjoy the Journal – and the springweather!

Stuart Brooks chief executivejohn muir trust

From the Chief ExecutiveStuart Brooks introduces the spring issue of the John Muir Trust Journal – one that examinesnot just developments here in the UK, but also offers an international perspective on conservationefforts and experiences from around the world

Photography

1 A guanaco stands high above the Rio Bakerin Patagonia – one of two rivers in the areathreatened by damming

NEWS04

JOHN MUIR TRUST 2010 WILDWRITING COMPETITION WINNERSANNOUNCED

The winners of the John Muir Trust 2010Wild Writing competition were announcedat the Fort William Mountain Festival in February. Now in its third year, thecompetition celebrates our landscapeand wild places by encouraging new andup-and-coming writers to detail theirexperiences and share their stories. This year’s competition, which saw morethan 100 entries, was judged by authorand folklorist Margaret Bennett. The overall winner was writer andmagazine sub-editor Melissa Harrison(pictured below) from South London, forher short story Dimmity. Melissa won anexclusive day out on a John Muir TrustEstate – an article on which will appearin a future issue of the Journal. Second place went to Michelle Frost forLeap of Fate, while Martin McKendry won

third place for Misinformed. The winnerof the poetry category was Iain Dubhwith Michaelmas, and the winner of theGaelic category was Neil McRae withFada air Chùl. There was also an extremely highstandard of entries in the juniorcompetition, which was won by GrantMacCallum from Invergarry PrimarySchool for his poem Mountain. “I enjoyed reading all of the entries and it was great to see there are so manyinspiring writers out there,” commentedMargaret Bennett. “I was particularlyimpressed with all of the young bardswho entered their poems.”The John Muir Trust would like tocongratulate this year’s winners and also thank all those who entered thecompetition. For a full list of winners,visit > www.jmt.org/wild-writing2010.asp

SUPPORT FOR TIGHTER CONTROLS ON HILL TRACKS

The John Muir Trust has lent its support to a petition calling for tightercontrols on the construction of hilltracks, such as the one pictured below in the Monadhliath. The petition followsgrowing concern about the increasingnumber of hill tracks constructed toallow vehicle access to upland areasintruding into wild landscapes anddamaging the natural environment. Current planning rules stipulate that as long as the tracks are claimed to be constructed for land managementpurposes such as agriculture andforestry, they can be built without theneed to secure planning permission –even in designated areas such asNational Parks. “Uncontrolled and badly constructedtracks are one of the biggest threats tothe country’s wild land,” commentedHelen McDade, Head of Policy for theJohn Muir Trust. “It is vital the planningsystem is strengthened to ensure thesetracks are constructed only where theyare necessary, and in a way that issensitive to the environment.”The issue has been raised in the ScottishParliament by Peter Peacock MSP onbehalf of the Mountaineering Council ofScotland. Mr Peacock tabled a motionnoting public concern about the intrusionof these tracks into the natural landscapeand the impact on otherwise wild land. “There has already been a four-yeardelay since a report by Heriot-WattUniversity, commissioned by the ScottishExecutive, clearly recommending anextensive overhaul of the uncontrolledrights of landowners to construct hilltracks through our beautiful wild areas,”noted Hebe Carus, Access & ConservationOfficer, Mountaineering Council ofScotland. “The longer the review ofPermitted Development Rights isdelayed the more of wild Scotland will be lost forever.”John Muir Trust members are urged to show their support by signing thepetition on the Hill Tracks Campaignwebsite.> www.hilltrackscampaign.org.uk

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EIGG COMMUNITY SHOWS THE WAY FORWARD

The imagination and commitment ofislanders on Eigg has seen the communityrewarded as one of three winners of theBig Green Challenge – a £1 million prizefund run by the National Endowment forScience Technology and the Arts (NESTA)to encourage community-led carbonemission reductions.The 95-strong community – the only Scottish finalist in a UK-widecompetition that saw 350 entries – was awarded £300,000 for its efforts infinding innovative ways to reduce carbonemissions on the island. Eigg’s ‘IslandsGong Green’ initiative has seen thecommunity reduce its CO2 emissions byan estimated 32% in the past year alone.This has been achieved through a rangeof initiatives that include generating its own renewable electricity, installinginsulation and solar panels on homes(pictured below), producing local food and developing low-carbon communitytransport schemes.“The Isle of Eigg team has exceeded our expectations of what communitiescan achieve in reducing carbon emissionsand should be congratulated,” commentedJonathan Kestenbaum, NESTA’s Chief Executive.John Hutchison, Chair of the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust – and the John Muir

Trust – is delighted with the award. “The islanders of Eigg have shown howpositive community action can make theswitch to a low-carbon economy,” hecommented. “After the failure of worldleaders to stand up to the plate at theCopenhagen conference, the residents of Eigg are inspiring us all by findinglocal solutions to the global threat ofclimate change.”The forward-looking approach isbringing a huge range of benefits to the island, with Eigg bucking the trend of remote rural communities in having a growing population and increasingnumbers of young people returning tothe island. Although plans have yet to be finalised,the award money is likely to go towardsthe installation of additional solar panels,the construction of an eco-house forstudents and the purchase of a communityelectric vehicle for the island. “We look forward to sharing and learningfrom these initiatives on Eigg as so muchof what they are doing is transferableacross Scotland,” added Hutchison. “It is a privilege to be involved with such a resourceful island community,showing the pioneering spirit we allneed to take the leap forward into a truly sustainable future.” > www.islandsgoinggreen.org

> www.biggreenchallenge.org.uk

NEWS06

MORE ANSWERS NEEDED

Scotland Before Pylons and the Beauly-Denny Landscape Group have called forthe Public Local Inquiry on the proposedBeauly-Denny electricity transmissionline to be reopened. The proposal, whichwill see a line of giant pylons run for220km from Beauly in Inverness-shire to Denny in Stirlingshire, was approvedby Scottish Ministers in January. The groups have written jointly to Energy Minister, Jim Mather, requestinga response to unanswered questionsregarding what are seen as proceduralerrors in the handling of the decision,the need for a Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment, and an inconsistentapproach to undergrounding the linealong sections of its intended route. According to the groups, two importantlegal points have been raised by thedecision to approve the line. First, therules governing Inquiries state that if theMinister has differed from his Reportersin a number of material respects, thenparties involved at the Inquiry should be allowed further representation. Inthis case, Mr Mather chose not to followthe view of Reporters on areas it wasrecommended that consent be withheld.By deciding to overrule his Reporterswithout consulting local authorities andother bodies, the groups argue that theMinister acted outside of his powers.The groups also believe the EnergyMinister had the power to specifyconditions, such as undergroundingalong the route of the line. Scotland before Pylons comprises avariety of community groups that allobjected to the line, while the Beauly-Denny Landscape group comprises sixmajor environmental organisations: The Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland; MountaineeringCouncil for Scotland; John Muir Trust;National Trust for Scotland; RamblersAssociation Scotland; and the ScottishWild Land Group.(See page 16 for more on the John MuirTrust’s approach to protecting wild landfollowing Beauly-Denny, including a newcampaign for improved statutorylegislation for wild land.)

CELEBRATING OUR BIODIVERSITY

The United Nations has declared 2010the International Year of Biodiversity topromote understanding of biodiversity,its value and its rate of loss. The JohnMuir Trust is marking the year with avariety of initiatives and events. On ourland, we are now in our third year of theWild Land Biodiversity Project. As wellas continuing our deer management andrecording and monitoring of species andhabitats, we aim to complete biodiversityaction plans for each of our propertiesover the year ahead. To get involved withthe Trust’s biodiversity activities, you canvisit our wild lands, find out about oursurveys and engage with our activities.For more information, visit > www.jmt.org/biodiversity.asp

> www.biodiversityislife.net

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS

Members and non-members alike are invited to join the John Muir Trust’sconservation work parties in 2010. These popular events take place on Trust properties and those of partnerorganisations. Tasks for this year includea mass clean-up of Camasunary beachon Skye, a continuation of pathwork onQuinag and even the chance to tackle anew invasive plant species – Gunnera, or Giant rhubarb – on Harris.A new location for work parties this yearis the Corrour Estate near Roy Bridge,which has worked closely with the Truston its conservation management since2008. Work planned includes repairs tothe path from Loch Ossian to Rannoch,as well as removing rubbish left byirresponsible wild campers at the head of Loch Treig. Work parties are open to all and are a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the maintenance and preservation of wild land while, of course, spending time outdoors in some of Scotland’smost beautiful locations. For moreinformation, visit > www.jmt.org/activities-conservation-work-

parties.asp

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WILD LAND CONFERENCE

A new, two-day conference anddiscussion forum entitled ‘Scotland’sWild Landscapes – New Ways Forward’plans to raise awareness among keystakeholders and the general public ofrecent research, policy developmentsand vital issues relating to Scotland’swild landscapes.The event will be held at Scottish NaturalHeritage’s headquarters at Battleby nearPerth from 13–14 May. Participants willdiscuss a variety of key questions andinclude presentations across a widespectrum of interlinked themes relatingto wild landscape, such as biodiversityand rewilding; renewable energy andclimate change; cultural and recreationalperspectives; the importance of wildlandscapes to the general public; andlatest research and policy development. The event has been organised by theCentre for Mountain Studies, PerthCollege UHI, with support from LeedsUniversity’s new Wild Land ResearchInstitute, Lochaber College UHI, theScottish Wild Land Group, ScottishNatural Heritage, the CairngormsNational Park Authority and the John Muir Trust.The conference organisers wouldparticularly like to thank UNESCOScotland for its generous support of this event, along with the John MuirTrust, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Cairngorms National ParkAuthority. For more details, visit > www.wildlands.info

CORRECTION, JOURNAL 47

The Trust has been informed that animage used on page 5 of Journal 47,meant to illustrate an incidence ofwildlife crime, was a staged photograph.The image was used in good faith andobtained from an established wildlifeimage library. While the location was not mentioned in the article, someonewith local knowledge may be able toidentify it, and we would like to makeclear that this image does not depict an actual wildlife crime in this area.

EXTRA PROTECTION FOR GOLDEN EAGLES

Key areas of golden eagle habitat alongScotland’s west coast may be in line foradditional protection following a recentdecision by the Scottish Government to look at recognising more areas inScotland that are important for the bird. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has now launched a public consultation on the proposal to create new SpecialProtection Areas (SPAs) for goldeneagles at Glen Fyne, Glen Etive, Moidartand Ardgour and the islands of Jura,Scarba and the Garvellachs. SPAs areprotected under European legislationcovering rare or vulnerable populationsof birds in the European Union.The west coast sites are part of a series being consulted on in Scotland.The other sites are Foinaven, Glen Affricto Strathconon and the CairngormsMassif. Scotland already has eight SPAs for golden eagles but the ScottishGovernment has decided to look atadding up to six more to supplement the conservation of this important bird.

Golden eagles once ranged over most of Britain, but since the 18th centurythey have been restricted to moreremote and upland areas of Scotlandand remain vulnerable.The consultation is open to all those who have an interest in the areas underconsideration. This includes owners andoccupiers of the land, recreational userssuch as walkers and climbers, scientificgroups such as ornithologists and peopleliving in the local area. All commentsreceived during the consultation processwill be collated by SNH and reported toScottish Ministers. Ministers will thenconsider the comments before decidingwhether to approve the new sites.For more information and how tocomment on the consultation, visit > www.snh.org.uk/strategy/GE_consult01.asp

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CONSERVING08 The rush to exploit sustainableresources is uncoordinated andfragmented

Copenhagen and beyond

The need for developed nations to lead in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through thedevelopment of renewable technologies should not be seen as a licence to overexploit ourvaluable areas of wild land. Stuart Brooks, Chief Executive, reiterates the Trust’s stance on wild land and the threat of climate change

Copenhagen, Denmark. December 2009.This historic meeting was an opportunityfor world leaders to replace the existingKyoto Protocol and develop a consensuson responsibility, governance, targetsand incentives for tackling climatechange. What we got was recognitionthat a 2°C increase in atmospherictemperature would be bad news and that deep cuts in global emissions arerequired to prevent this from happening.Developed countries, meanwhile, will be expected to help developing nationswith mitigation and adaptation planningthrough the provision of finance,technology and capacity-buildingsupport.

But no binding targets or commitments were set, nor was there any agreement to takeaction or responsibility. As such, the Kyoto Protocol will continue for a while longer – amove not widely supported by developing nations or environmental groups.

Given these outcomes, what impact can we expect Copenhagen to have on the waywild land is valued and managed here in the UK? And how will this alter the work andattitudes of the John Muir Trust?

C A L L F O R A C T I O NFor developed nations, energygeneration and consumption is by far the largest source of harmful greenhousegas emissions. In the UK, for instance,almost 57% of all emissions in 2007 wereestimated i to be a result of either energysupply (35.4%) or transport (21.5%).

The European Union, meanwhile, has set a target for the UK of 15% renewableenergy generation by 2020. If we are tosuccessfully deliver on this, we mustbreak our dependency on fossil fuels by developing and installing new andreliable technologies that can exploit our massive renewable potential – withresources such as wind, wave, hydro and biomass all readily available.

But while each of these options canrightly be regarded as being cleaner than conventional sources in terms ofthe energy they produce, they do notcome free of negative environmental

wild land plays an integral rolein the life supportsystems of theplanet

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impacts. The installation of wind turbines,for instance, can cause peat to dry out andbirds to abandon vital nesting grounds;hydro schemes can alter the flow of riversand streams, endangering wildlife reliantupon the water; biomass projects can beland-intensive (just look at energy crops)or controversial (energy-from-waste);while industrial-scale proposals of anykind can have a significant impact onremote and wild landscapes. This meansthat when considering proposals forrenewable energy projects, we cannotsimply say that the threat of climatechange is an over-riding factor; we musttake a holistic view of the environment in which the scheme will exist. Importantquestions must be asked. Is it appropriatefor the area? Does it contravene relevantlegislation? Is the scientific evidenceprovided accurate? And are the potentiallosses or damages to the environmentacceptable in relation to the potentialenergy likely to be generated?

T RU S T P O L I C YIn October 2004, the John Muir Trustadopted a clear policy on renewableenergy developments. We stated thatdevelopments within wild land will be

opposed, while those on the peripherywill be assessed based on their potentialthreat to habitats and species, and thescale of the proposal in relation to thesurrounding area.

Since the adoption of this policy, theTrust has objected to only 10 industrial-scale wind power proposals, all of whichwere determined as failing to meet thepolicy’s acceptable criteria. In addition,the Trust has provided input to theScottish Government’s Committee onEconomy, Environment and TourismInquiry into Scotland’s energy future, aHouse of Lords Energy Report, the reviewof the National Planning Framework in Scotland and the Consultation on anEnergy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland.

In each case, the Trust has maintained a consistent stance: in the first instance,we should promote energy conservationand efficiency using some of the publicmoney currently going to industrial-scalerenewable energy. The next priority is to appropriately site renewable energyschemes, with an emphasis on avoidingareas of high ecological and landscapevalue. Preference should be given tocommunity-scale schemes, ideally

adjacent to existing settlements that give maximum benefit to local communities, followed by industrial-scale schemes located on previously developed sites.

The current rush to exploit sustainable resources is uncoordinated and frag-mented. Let us also not forget that thereare huge financial incentives helping todrive this process. Indeed, there wouldappear to be a significant resonancebetween the recent Beauly-Dennycampaign (see page 16) and John Muir’s unsuccessful battle to save Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite all those yearsago: development within a NationalPark; alternative options ignored; andopposition to development denouncedas out of touch with society’s needs.

In both cases, campaigners were not opposed to the need for some development,but were simply committed to promoting and conserving the natural benefits of the land where the particulardevelopment was proposed. This isbecause wild land plays an integral rolein the life support systems of the planet,with the provision of clean air, food andwater among its many environmentalservices. Similarly, wild land also helps

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with the effects of climate change byoffering carbon ‘sinks’ in the form ofblanket bogs and woodlands.

P E AT L A N D C O N S E RVAT I O NThe Trust has become an active partner ina new International Union for Conservationof Nature (IUCN) project ii which is gearedtowards changing attitudes and policiesto support peatland conservation acrossthe UK. While the biodiversity value of peatlands has been championed byconservationists in the past, its relevanceto climate change mitigation couldbecome its most important attributefrom a public policy perspective.Covering an estimated three millionhectares (or 12% of the UK land area),deep peat provides a store of at least3,000 million tonnes of carbon – 20 times as much carbon as is stored in the whole of the UK’s forest biomass.

When plants that grow on peatlands diethey do not decompose but instead buildup as layers of peat, so storing carbon. Butthis only happens on healthy, wet peatlandsthat are not subject to damage fromovergrazing, burning or draining. Suchactivities not only prevent atmosphericcarbon dioxide from being fixed and stored,they also have the effect of releasingthousands of years of stored carbon.

The IUCN project estimates that some 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide peryear are being lost to the atmospherefrom the UK’s damaged peatlands. Thismeans that compared to other forms ofcarbon management, such as renewableenergy development and bio-fuelproduction, peatland and woodlandrestoration is far more cost effective.

Under existing policy, the UK governmentcould offset the equivalent of 37% of allUK CO2 emissions if it invested the sameamount of money in peatland restorationas it does to deliver its current 5% biofueltarget iii. So, the Trust’s vision for largetracts of functioning woodlands andpeatlands not only appeals from alandscape and wildlife perspective, but it could also play a crucial role in reducing our carbon emissions.

There are also significant opportunitiesfor farmers and other land managers to receive payments for undertakingrestoration work that could delivermultiple public benefits. Unfortunately,both international and UK policy still has some way to go before it can helprealise these benefits.

In the meantime, the Trust will continueto support large-scale ecosystemrestoration and oppose developments –

including renewable energy schemes –on deep peat sites in core areas of wild land.

It is true that wild places and the uniquehabitats and biodiversity they possessare facing their greatest threat in theform of climate change, but that does not mean that our sensitive landscapeshould be exploited by business for itsnatural resources. By adopting a morestrategic approach to land managementand sustainable energy generation we canavoid the need to consider developmentsin sensitive areas and help developsolutions that offer the best outcomes for all concerned: clean, affordable andsecure energy supplies, economicresilience and sound environmentalprotection.

Footnotesi Greenhouse Gas Emission Statistics,

Paul Bolton, www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/

briefings/snsg-02745.pdf

ii IUCN UK Committee Peatland Programme2009-2012, www.iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org

iii Source: The Root of the Matter. CarbonSequestration in Forests and Peatlands.Policy Exchange, 2008.www.policyexchange.org.uk

Photography

1 Wild land looking towards Beinn Dearg, Skye2 Coire a Mhaill in the Mamores, looking north

towards Steall3 Wind turbines pose a very real landscape

threat4 All ears at the Climate Change Conference

in Copenhagen

the trust willcontinue tosupport large-scale ecosystemrestoration

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Mountain Equipment is very pleased to be anew gold corporate member of the John MuirTrust. Like many other mountain enthusiasts,we should have joined years ago! We lookforward to working with the Trust to supportits activities and to promote membershipamongst the thousands of people that use ourgear in the British hills every year.

Hamish Dunn, Brand DirectorMountain Equipment

Wild land needswild businesses

G O L D C O R P O R AT E M E M B E R SBerghaus Corrour Trust Haggis Adventures HF Holidays Highlander Image Scotland Mountain Equipment Tiso

S I LVE R C O R P O R AT E M E M B E R SBen Nevis Distillery Fergus Macfarlane Pharmacy Profitmaster Systems Ltd

B R O N Z E C O R P O R AT E M E M B E R SAlpine Exploratory Avendris Dandy Dewar’s World of Whisky Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival The George Hotel, Edinburgh Heart of the Lakes Highland Adventure Safaris King’s Manor Hotel, Edinburgh Scotland Calling Ultimate Outdoors The Watermill, Aberfeldy Webducate

We value the contribution of the growing number ofcompanies that are helping the Trust through membership,donations, promotional opportunities and in-kind support.

If you would like to join us in the business of protecting wild land & wild places,please contact Sam Baumber Membership Manager recruit@jmt.org / 0131 554 0114

The John Muir Trust would like to thank itsCorporate Members and Supporters

the mountains are calling and i must go

john muir

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CONSERVING12 Turning to a more sustainable modelof deer management

If wild land and wild deer are to flourish together, the Trustbelieves a more sustainable approach to deer management isneeded. Mike Daniels explains

Standing proud on the cover of the Trust’s 2010 Wild Naturediary, the red deer is an iconic wild land species. Our largestnative land mammal, red deer are found on all Trust-managedwild land, but their presence poses a significant challenge forthe sustainable management of that land – with considerableresources spent on culling around 400 animals each year.

Such a cull is necessary in part to replace the role of naturalpredators, but also to bring deer populations to levels that allow the full ecological potential of the land to be realised.Many of our wild land ecosystems are in poor health as a resultof centuries of intensive grazing by deer and sheep, as well asburning, draining and planting of exotic species. At higherlevels, deer grazing has suppressed habitats and restrictedmany species of plants to inaccessible ledges. Lower down, deer trampling on blanket bogs has contributed to the erosion of peat and release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The problem, of course, is not the deer, but rather man’smanagement of them. Magnificent animals in their own right,deer are an integral part of the wild land ecosystem. They are‘keystone’ species with the ability to maintain flower rich

grasslands or heathlands, to createwoodland clearings and even provideniches for seeds to germinate in their hoofprints. Even in death, their grallochs andcarcasses provide much-needed nutritionfor a host of plants and animals in whatis often an impoverished environment.

F O RWA R D T H I N K I N GThe Trust’s vision is to optimise the deerpopulation on wild land and maximisetheir full ecological potential. However,this requires a more sustainable model of deer management than the current‘traditional’ approach with its focus on producing as many sporting stags as possible.

The history of traditional deer man-agement, from the rise of the Victoriandeer forest to the capital value of estatesbeing partly based on the number ofsporting stags shot, is well rehearsed.With the development of the shootingestate, deer were protected, localpeoples’ access to hunting restricted and deer numbers rose.

The challenge for the Trust is to seewhether traditional deer management canadapt to more sustainable practices. It isa change in approach that raises severalquestions which I will try and answer:

Does the Trust want to eradicate deer?

No. Deer are an essential part of ahealthy ecosystem and stalking is acrucial part of sustainable wild landmanagement. However, the main aim of stalking in a sustainable model is tomanage the habitat, with revenue from‘conservation hunting’ and the sale ofvenison offsetting some of the costs.Deer will also contribute to the ruraleconomy and employment of wild landareas through eco-tourism.

Does the Trust want to return to aparticular time in history?

No. The past is a different country.Although the Trust’s vision means reducingdeer numbers in some areas, the approachis based on concerns about the presentrather than trying to turn the clock back.

Why doesn’t the Trust simply fence deer out?

Fencing is a useful tool to achieve forestryor woodland objectives, particularly forplanting of nursery-grown trees, and hasbeen used on our Knoydart and Skyeproperties.

However, the main flaw of fencing as auniversal solution is that it treats thesymptoms of the problem rather than thecause. If we fence but do not addressdeer numbers outside, what happenswhen we take the fence down? Or, putanother way, once a fence is up there will

Culture change

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never be a good time to take it down. Thetrees – or their seedlings – would alwaysbe at risk of damage.

And it is not just woodlands that needlower deer impacts to achieve full eco-logical potential; if deer numbers are toohigh the entire ecosystem, from arctic-alpine plant communities on the hightops to blanket bogs on the glen floor, canbe impacted by grazing and trampling.If fencing is the solution, then the entireecosystem (or property) should be fenced– a massive and costly undertaking.

Fencing creates other problems, too.Given that deer are an integral part of the ecosystem, fencing them out entirelyis counter-productive. For example,when deer are fenced out of woodlandthe ground vegetation grows rapidlymaking it more difficult for seedlings to establish. And then there is the visualintrusion on wild landscapes, restrictionson movement for wildlife and people,plus the risk of fence strikes for vulnerablebirds such as capercaillie.

Finally, fencing does not remove theneed to cull deer. Fencing deer out oftheir natural forage and shelter areascould have serious welfare consequences,or concentrate their impacts outside thefence. Therefore a ‘compensatory’ cull of those animals that once depended on the fenced area for foraging andshelter is usually required to minimisethe risk of death from starvation or exposure.

Will the Trust’s approach harmtraditional deer management onadjacent land?

The concept that one landowner iskilling another’s deer is false. Legally,wild deer belong to no-one until they are dead. Interestingly, on estatesneighbouring those where sustainablemanagement is now practiced, sportshooting has continued. Some impactshave been observed in terms of availabilityof sporting stags but, overall, changeshave not been dramatic.

The assumption has been that cullingdeer creates a ‘vacuum’ that then sucksreplacement animals into the vacantterritory. The logical conclusion of this is that continually culling deer on one property would see the entiredeer population from the wider areadrawn in and killed. However, thanks to a combination of biological andbehavioural reasons, this appears not to happen. Hinds are generally ‘hefted’ to an area and are very slow to colonise.Plus, if an area is continually shot anddisturbed, it is unlikely that deer of either sex will settle there.

But this is not to suggest that sportingestates will see no impact at all. If theoverall population is reduced in an area,then logically the availability of sportingstags will be proportionately affected. Of course, the reverse can equally beargued: traditional deer management on adjacent land may well impact on the Trust’s objectives for a moresustainable approach.

T U R N I N G T I D EEncouragingly, attitudes to red deermanagement on wild land are changing.In 2008, for the first time, the ScottishGovernment published a national strategyon the sustainable management of wilddeer. This was followed a year later byconsultation on how deer should bemanaged as part of a proposed bill.

Both developments illustrate recognitionat policy level that deer represent anational resource that belongs to all and that deer impacts – both positiveand negative – affect not just those withthe right to shoot them. In addition, the Government’s obligation to achieve2010 (and beyond) biodiversity targets is focussed on keeping designated sitessuch as SSSIs in favourable condition.For many wild land areas, this meansreducing deer grazing impacts.

There is a general recognition ingovernment and wider society of theneed to take a more strategic view of

land management. In 2010, the twopublic bodies responsible for deer andnatural heritage (Deer CommissionScotland and Scottish Natural Heritagerespectively) are scheduled to merge.Meanwhile, ‘ecosystem thinking’ hasbegun to replace the previous focus on individual species or habitats. TheGovernment has also completed a rural land use study and is developing a ‘sustainable land use strategy’ with aview to integrating competing objectivesin the countryside.

This broader attitude to land managementis reflected on the ground. Today, themotivation of wild land owners is verydifferent to when traditional deermanagement was born, or even when the Trust was founded in 1983. Publicbodies such as the Forestry Commissionand Scottish Natural Heritage, communitybuy-outs, other non-governmentalorganisations and an increasing numberof private estates now focus much moreon ecosystem enhancement and wildland restoration.

There is no reason why traditional deermanagement cannot adapt to sustainablepractices. It has already evolved with newtechnologies such as all terrain vehiclesand telescopic sights, and to new practicessuch as stalking qualifications, venisonquality assurance schemes and bestpractice guidance. A shift to sustainabledeer management would mean a changeof emphasis from sporting stags toecosystems. It would also entail usinghabitat monitoring to determine deerdensity; ceasing to supplementary feedstags over the winter; and moving thecull to a time of year that minimises the impact of deer and their extractionon fragile habitats and soils.

But given the changes that have alreadyoccurred in traditional stalking, this shiftshould not be insurmountable. And with sustainable deer management stillrequiring skilled stalkers and supporthunting – albeit for conservationpurposes – such a shift should be seen as an opportunity rather than a threat.Wild deer would then become an icon of a truly healthy wild landecosystem.

About the author

Mike Daniels is Chief Scientific Officer for the John Muir Trust. He can be contacted at:cso@jmt.org

For a fascinating account of stalking with theTrust’s wild land rangers, see Henry Straker-Smith’s article Hard yards with the JMT atwww.jmt.org

Photography

1 Deer extraction on Trust land2 Skilled hunters would still be needed for

sustainable management of wild deer

attitudes to red deermanagementon wild landare changing

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CONSERVING14 A compelling rationale for travelling ina conservation-supportive manner

Every year, millions of people travel to places such as Africa and South America to enjoy rare wildlife and remarkable landscapes. Countless more head to the Scottish Highlands toexperience our own mountains and beautiful coastline. But, asks Neil Birnie – a co-founder ofWilderness Scotland – how do we inspire the people who travel to see these things to also wantto conserve them?

Wilderness Scotland and its internationaldivision Wilderness Journeys were borneout of a desire to introduce people towild places and, in doing so, supporttheir protection. Now in its tenth year of operation, the Edinburgh-basedwalking and adventure holiday companyprovides significant financial support tothe John Muir Trust through its innovativeConservation Contribution scheme.

Yet for a company founded by passionateenvironmentalists, our industry presentsus with a continual dilemma. Air travel is considered to be the fastest growingsource of carbon emissions, whileinsensitive tourism developments are placing increasing pressure uponfragile ecosystems world-wide.

Tourism is, however, the only majorglobal industry to place commercialvalue upon pristine natural habitats.Indeed, in many locations, tourism is the sole reason for the continuedexistence of wildlife, forests and precious biodiversity. And with

deforestation believed to account for upto 20% of all carbon emissions (comparedwith up to 4% through air travel) there isa compelling rationale for travelling in aconservation-supportive manner as ameans of doing something positive.

Tourism supports conservation in twoprimary ways: by providing revenue to local communities who live nearimportant natural areas – with suchrevenue serving as an economicalternative to more environmentallydamaging forms of land use; and byenabling people who travel to wild and natural areas to forge a personalconnection with these places and tothereafter feel inspired to actively help protect them.

Wilderness Scotland and WildernessJourneys have always understood the fact that by journeying through a wildand beautiful region our clients will beminded to place increasing value onsuch places. Ideally, they will engagedirectly and support the work of a

Connect and conserve

regrettably, formany of our wildplaces to survivethey must oftendemonstrateeconomic value

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conservation organisation. Others might simply consider the environmentthe next time they vote, or be inspired to do more with their families in orderthat their children might grow up moreenvironmentally aware.

A second and perhaps more persuasiveargument behind tourism’s importancefor conservation lies in the regrettablereality that for many of our precious wild places to survive, they must oftendemonstrate some form of economicvalue. This means that in most successfullyintegrated conservation and tourismcontexts there are clear dynamics atwork: there must be both a threatenedbiodiversity resource and a humanpopulation that can (should they derivebenefit from it) influence the protectionof that resource to an extent that itoutweighs the benefits of a potentiallymore environmentally damaging use of such a resource.

W O R K I N G I N TA N D E MThe contexts in which conservation and tourism have been most successfullyintegrated are in developing nationswhere government is least effective and public finance for conservation most limited. The grave and urgentthreat to many of the world’s mostprecious natural treasures has causedembattled conservation organisationsand the private tourism sector tocollaborate in creating innovativeconservation tourism and sustainableenterprise models.

Wilderness Journeys has alwaysprimarily sought to develop internationaladventure travel experiences in contextswhere tourism is integrated with aneffective conservation regime. Revenuefrom our African walking safariitineraries, for instance, enabled us toprovide the initial £12,000 of financialsupport to kick-start an initiative in theLeroghi forests of northern Kenya wherethe Wilderness Foundation has formed apartnership with Wangari Mathai’s GreenBelt Movement to plant more than onemillion trees in the region.

And others are doing likewise elsewhere.For example, the creation of an eight-bed,luxury eco-lodge in Kenya’s MathewsMountains has led to the return ofelephant, lion and African wild dog tothe region. It has also helped generatethe seed-finance to create Africa’s largest community-conservation area in partnership with Kenyan conservationbody the Northern Rangelands Trust.

In Bolivia, the buffer zone around MadidiNational Park in the upper Amazon riverbasin is being protected through a seriesof innovative and community-basedconservation tourism initiatives led bythe Wildlife Conservation Society. Here,local communities are incentivised todevelop ecotourism operations as analternative to logging and small-scalepoaching.

Meanwhile, in India, a scheme to convertformer tiger poachers and sandalwoodgatherers into tourism guides has resultedin a series of conservation successes inthe Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala. Visitorsstay in a jungle lodge as guests of the localcommunity, while the poachers-turned-tour guides offer gentle rafting and birdwatching journeys through lagoons inwhich they once hunted tigers. While the animals remain under serious threat,this venture has at least resulted in asignificant decline in deforestation ratesand a boost to the reserve’s remainingtiger population.

U K PA R A L L E L S While the opportunity to integrateconservation and tourism is mostpronounced in an overseas anddeveloping nation context, there arerelevant parallels to be drawn here in the UK. We have witnessed, for instance,how a community partnership in Assyntwas moved, out of financial necessity, toconsider the development of industrialwind turbines in the immediate vicinity of Suilven – a natural treasure ofinternational importance. It is essentialthat the local community in Assynt besupported in developing a viable localecotourism industry to help it balance

conservation with stimulating a viable economy for their children and grandchildren.

Not so long ago, the wild places of Harris were under threat from a superquarry, while today they face theprospect of a further industrial-scalewind turbine development on nearbyPairc. Although, of course, a complexand emotive issue, it is conceivable that if there was more tourism on theislands – and a greater integrationbetween tourism and conservation –then such a development may have been prevented earlier.

I liken tourism’s role in the globalconservation struggle to putting a series of sticking plasters on preciousareas of biodiversity while governmentsslowly inch towards a system of effectiveenvironmental protection. Althoughmuch of the tourism which exists todayis undesirable from an environmentalperspective – with the air travel ofteninvolved undeniably harmful – there are many tourism operations that are, on balance, doing a great deal of good.

So, until such time as political willsupports our governments to find a more sensible way forward, choosingyour holiday in a manner which genuinelybenefits conservation is one way of makinga small yet valuable contribution toconserving the earth’s precious wild places.

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About the author

Neil Birnie is a co-founder of WildernessScotland and Wilderness Journeys, whichbetween them offer environmentally-themedwalking and adventure holidays in Scotland andother inspiring locations. He is presently ChiefExecutive of Conservation Capital, an internationalconservation enterprise consultancy andinvestment firm. Further information

Wilderness Scotland www.wildernessscotland.com

Wilderness Journeys www.wildernessjourneys.com

Conservation Capital www.conservation-capital.com

Photography

1 Zebras at a waterhole2 Kayaking on Lake Malawi3 A Wilderness Journeys walking safari

in northern Kenya

CAMPAIGNING16 Wild land and landscape concernsmatter greatly to many people

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The John Muir Trust fought long and hard against the plannedupgrade to the Beauly-Denny power transmission line. Buthaving seen this and other projects approved, it is time for astep change in the approach to protecting wild land, writesHelen McDade

The recent Ministerial decisions approvingthe Beauly-Denny electricity transmissionline and the Muaitheabhal wind farmdevelopment on Eisgein in Lewis raise a number of important questions. Howwell is wild land protected? What are thelessons we can learn from our campaignefforts and what is the best way forward?

Since the application for the Beauly-Denny upgrade was first lodged in 2005,the Trust has been heavily involved inopposing a proposal that will now see a line of 600 pylons, some as high as 65metres, run for 220km from just west of Inverness to Stirlingshire. The Trust’sstance was based on an assessment thatit would simply not be possible to mitigateagainst the significant adverse effects onthe visual and landscape environmentby, for instance, careful micro-siting ofthe line.

In fact, there are several significant areaswhere action to minimise the impactlocally is almost impossible. Theseinclude the Corrieyairack Pass throughthe Monadhliath Mountains, a sectionthrough the Cairngorms National Parkand, further south, where the line passes to the east of Schiehallion.

However, we also recognised along with our partners in the Beauly-Denny Landscape Group that, to stop the development, we would need todemonstrate alternative ways for the increase in renewable electricitygenerated in Scotland – the prime reason cited for upgrading the line – to be delivered to consumers in the south.

M A J O R BAT T L EWhen the Trust adopted this stance, werecognised that the chips were stackedagainst us. All major political parties werekeen to stress that Scotland’s renewableenergy potential must be tapped andseemed to accept the industry view thata line between Beauly and Denny wasessential. Individual politicians whorepresented areas along the line were,however, also keen to stress that duenotice should be taken of legitimate local concerns.

Sadly, it soon became apparent that veryfew politicians thought this a matter thatthey needed to study in detail. This wasunfortunate because the detailed data weprovided offered answers to some of thekey questions. Is the line required anddoes it need to go from Beauly to Denny?And are the costs of alternatives really as much as claimed by the Applicant?

But after an eleven-month inquiry and a further two years in the system, theScottish Government Energy Minister,Jim Mather, announced approval for the line with very little change from the original proposal. The Trust believesthis to be a very poor decision not justenvironmentally but also economicallyand technically.

Hard on the heels of the Beauly-Dennyannouncement came Ministerial approvalfor the Muaitheabhal wind farm on Eisgeinin South Lewis. The Trust opposed anearlier version of this – which involvedmore than 50 turbines, each 125 metreshigh, half of which were in a NationalScenic Area (NSA) – at a Public LocalInquiry in 2008.

Although modified in that it will now besituated outwith the NSA, the approvedscheme will still have a major impact onkey wild land areas. There will now befewer turbines – 33 in all – but with eachreaching a height of 145 metres, and thenearest turbine just 5km away from theNSA, they will be clearly visible fromBeinn Mhor, the highest mountain onthe Pairc peninsula.

Beinn Mhor itself is within a ScottishNatural Heritage (SNH) Search Area forWild Land – areas identified as placeswhose nature and extent suggest thatthey are where the qualities of wildnesscan be best experienced. So, while theTrust is pleased that the combinedefforts of the objectors ensured that the NSA was protected, we are very sorry to see such a magnificent area of wild land so seriously impacted.

the essentialstatus of wildland in the ukremains vague

Making a stand

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M A P P I N G T H E W I L DSo what now? The Trust is currentlyworking with a team from Leeds Universitylooking at maps of wild land in Britain(see below) and using GeographicInformation System data to assess theimpacts of such developments on ourdiminishing wild land resource. A recentSNH Key Indicator figure which statedthat “the extent of Scotland unaffected by any form of visual influence declinedfrom 41% to 31%” between 2002 and2008 provides an indication of the scaleand immediacy of the threat.

Taking all these points together, the Trustbelieves it imperative that we see a stepchange in the approach to protectingwild land. Voluntary measures such asurging best practice on decision-makersand developers have simply not worked.It is little understood that high-valuelandscape and scenic interests havescant protection compared to, say,species and habitats through relevantEuropean Union Directives.

The Trust has taken part in groups oflandscape interests, such as the Scottish

Landscape Forum, to try and ensure thatthe landscape case is heard at decision-making level. But it has not been easy.

Sadly, the recession seems to have madegovernments in the UK excessively keento give the go-ahead for badly thoughtthrough developments in an attempt tokick-start an economic recovery. As aresult, there appears to be little appetitefor better protection measures – at leastin Scotland.

Although there is some encouragingthinking on landscape issues andecosystem scale from organisations such as Natural England, the essentialstatus of wild land in the UK remainsvague. While wild land is mentioned asimportant in various planning documents,such as the Scottish Government’sNational Planning Framework, there is no hard and fast rule about how toactually protect it. Our conclusion is that there is an urgent need for a wildland designation to be introduced toprotect core areas of unspoilt wild land,and then a further agreed buffer zonewhich would allow transitional activities.

F R E S H S TA RTThe Trust recently launched a wild land campaign to gather support fromthe thousands of people who are deeplyconcerned about the future of our wildlandscapes. Worryingly, when asked to support a Landscape Forum, aGovernment Minister commentedrecently: “I just don’t see a groundswellof opinion from communities aboutlandscape”. But he is wrong. Over 90% ofthe 20,000 objectors to the Beauly-Dennyline were concerned about landscape.

Politicians need to see evidence of thisconcern and recognise that wild landand landscape concerns matter greatly to people. They need to be informedabout what wild land does for us, not just in terms of how people feel andrespond to it, but also its contributionwhen it comes to water quality, carbonstorage and biodiversity. They need tounderstand and feel what we alreadyknow – that wild land must be protected NOW.

And it is easy to get involved, be it throughsigning our petitions to governments, or circulating details of our campaign to friends in the UK and overseas. Withelections coming, this is a perfect oppor-tunity to challenge politicians on wherethey stand on this matter and obtaintheir support.

Meanwhile, Trust staff will be seeking the professional support needed to havea wild land designation discussed in thecorridors of power, while a Trust-runWild Land Conference in 2011 will coverthe scientific aspects of our campaign, as well as celebrate the wild land wehave left.

The ambition behind this campaign isnot small and we need your help. If youcan join or give a donation, it will helppay for the staff and research required to take the campaign forward. Keep aneye on our website for further updates.This won’t happen overnight but it canand must happen before we lose ourprecious wild land altogether.

About the author

Helen McDade is Head of Policy for the John MuirTrust. She can be contacted at policy@jmt.orgPhotography

1/2 Giant pylons in the Lake District similar insize to those planned for the Beauly-Dennyline

3 A map depicting Britain’s remaining wildland areas on a gradated scale from deepblue (wildest areas) to red (most built upareas).

MAP SUPPLIED BY DR STEVE CARVER, WILDLAND RESEARCH

INSTITUTE. MAP REPRODUCED FROM ORDNANCE SURVEY

MATERIAL WITH THE PERMISSION OF ORDNANCE SURVEY ON

BEHALF OF THE CONTROLLER OF HER MAJESTY’S

STATIONERY OFFICE. CROWN COPYRIGHT.

W I L D L A N D I N B R I TA I N

Top 10% wildest land

High

Low

0 50 100 200 300km

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time for reflectionplease consider including a gift in your will to the john muir trust.

for more information visit our website or contact sara Mccarter for a legacy information pack.

let your legacy allow the wild landand wild places you love to flourish, forever.

forever wild

lochan dubha in the heart of the cuillin, isle of skye, safeguarded by the john muir trust. photographer: keith brame

www.jmt.org/legacy fundraising@jmt.org / 0131 554 0114

BERGHAUS and are registered trade marks of Berghaus Limited. ©Berghaus Ltd 2010.

Berghaus has been helping great British mountaineers to reach their goals for over 40 years. From Sir Chris Bonington to Leo Houlding,

generations of adventurers have gone further and reached higher, supported every step of the way by Berghaus.

Leo Houdling, Mount Asgard, Baffin Island, Canada 2010.Copyright Alastair Lee 2010.

www.berghaus.com

Each generation brings a new adventure.

Sir Chris Bonington,Menlungtse,

Himalayas 1988.

CAMPAIGNING20 Ambitious plans to create a futurePatagonia National Park

Journal: Please explain the thinkingbehind the formation of ConservaciónPatagonica (CP)

Jake Blaine: CP was founded as a non-profit organisation in 2000 with themission to preserve biodiversity andrestore degraded grasslands through thecreation of national parks. We decided towork within the context of national parksbecause they are the most secure way toprotect the land and its biodiversity inperpetuity. To date, CP has conservedmore than 460,000 acres of criticallyendangered grasslands and createdArgentina’s first ever coastal nationalpark: Monte Leon National Park.

Patagonia itself offers an unparalleledopportunity for large-scale land conser-vation because of its vast and availabletracts of untouched wild lands and itswide range of native species. It is also aplace where CP can work at a scale thatsignificantly contributes to global carbonsequestration; it is a transition landscapewith great importance for climateadaptation; and its untapped land,mineral and energy resources representan attractive target for government and corporate exploitation.

What is the main thrust of your focustoday?

Our primary focus is on the creation ofthe future Patagonia National Park (PNP).When completed, PNP will comprise atotal of 750,000 acres – similar in size toYosemite National Park – and will sit in atransitional zone between the SouthernAndean foothills, the temperate beachforest and the semi-arid grasslandsknown as the Patagonian steppes.

The park will open a vital migrationcorridor that was previously blocked byfences constructed by ranchers to confinetheir sheep and cattle. The corridor willbe used by puma, huemul deer (theChilean symbol of nature) and otherInternational Union for Conservation of Nature red-listed species. TheCorporacion Nacional Forestal – theChilean equivalent of the US National

Park Service – has made this project the country’s number one conservationpriority.

One of the outcomes that CP hopes toachieve is to bolster the local economywith sustainable industries such as eco-tourism and low-impact recreationactivities. PNP sits between two largenational reserves and the completion ofthe park will require CP to work closelywith the local communities, regionaluniversities and all levels of government.Globally, we hope this project will shinelight on the significance of conservingone of the last wild places on earth.

Presumably the future PNP is just onepart of a wider ambition for the region?

CP’s goal is to establish a balancebetween human use and native habitats.We aim to achieve not just biodiversitybut a richness of diversity that allows allinhabitants to remain intact and evolvein their natural ways. Today, thesesystems are deeply compromised byhuman use and, in particular, suffer from a century of sheep and cattlegrazing – practices that have destroyedthe grasslands and pushed many of thenative species into marginal landscapes.CP is committed to bringing back thesespecies and restoring the region so thathumans and non-humans can live, if notin harmony, then at least in some sort of truce.

What kind of ecological health isPatagonia in today?

Although a place of dramatic beauty and wide-open spaces, the land itself is ecologically fragile. Intensive grazingby domestic livestock has caused gravedamage to Patagonia’s grasslandecosystems, while widespreaddeforestation, the killing of nativecarnivores, expanding oil and miningexploitation, and proposed mega-damsfor hydroelectricity are all current andfuture threats to the region’s naturalcharacter. Today, less than 5% ofPatagonia is permanently protected. The agricultural ministry of Argentina

estimates that desertification of thePatagonian steppe ecosystem will affectnearly 80% of the region, so actions mustbe taken now to reduce pressure on thisfragile landscape.

Are you essentially on track?

Yes. There are always unseen obstacles inour path, but overall this project is movingforward at a steady and productive pace.The biggest short-term challenge we faceis finding the funding needed to coverthe project’s operating budget as webegin phase II, which is the consolidationof the Park. The primary long-term hurdlewill be to endow the project to ensure itspreservation in perpetuity.

To what extent might your work beconsidered a model for wild landconservation elsewhere – including herein the UK?

We fully intend for our work – andspecifically the PNP project – to be a model for future large-scale landconservation projects in the world. We want people to build on oursuccesses and learn from our mistakes so that together we can preserve andrestore as much of the world’s grasslandsas is humanly possible. We plan onsharing our experiences with any and all land conservation organisations sothat they may achieve their goals moreefficiently and effectively.

Specifically in the UK, the model of leveraging private lands to create larger public protected areas and the reopening of wildlife corridors to preserve and promote biodiversity are two applicable aspects of our work.

Finally how can people support yourwork?

The three main ways to get involved areto donate money online at our website,volunteer at the future PNP and spreadthe word about CP and large-scale landconservation as much as possible.

Park of plentyConservación Patagonica has spent a decade working to protecta vast area of wild land that is home to some of the most awe-inspiring scenery in the world. We talk to Executive Director,Jake Blaine, to learn more about the organisation’s work

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Further information

Based in California, Conservación Patagonica was established by Kristine Tompkins, the formerCEO of US outdoor clothing manufacturer,Patagonia Inc. www.conservacionpatagonica.org

Photography

1 A classic Patagonian grassland scene2 Volunteers work on fence removal3 Local gauchos (ranchers) on the move

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INSPIRING22 A momentous journey across theIndian Ocean full of wild wonders

Wild at heart

Record-breaking oarswoman Sarah Outen explains how anepic voyage rowing solo across the Indian Ocean in 2009 wasjust one more step in her love affair with wild places

I am going to be frank and tell it how it is. I am in love with the wild and with life; withwildlife and the wild life. In short, I am a wild life junkie: I get my fix from exploringand adventuring, sharing an energy that I have thrived on for more than two decades.

Although still young, I have already experienced many wild wonders. I have passedthe time of day with a humpback whale off the coast of Scotland, surfed waves withalbatrosses in the Indian Ocean, helped turtle hatchlings begin their own saltyjourneys in the Pacific, and paddled and trekked far and wide in the UK.

I am driven by wanderlust, answering the call of the running tides, the mountains andthe stars – journeying and learning in the wilderness. This is what it is to add meaningto the bewildering mystery of life and all its stories, to return to our early roots aspeople of the land.

W I L D C A L L I N GI was born with a wandering heart and passion for wild thingsand places. Family holidays to Wales and Northumbria sparkedmy love of hills, mountains, beaches and rivers. As I grew older,I spent more time challenging myself in such places and readingabout great journeys. First experiences of wild camping duringmy Duke of Edinburgh Awards were magical; a sea kayakingexpedition to the Hebrides ignited my imagination; whilevolunteer work with a local wildlife trust taught me the need for a pragmatic approach to conservation.

At university, I studied biology and first learned of John Muirand his early calls to ‘do something for the wilderness and make the mountains glad’. I was happy to answer and spent mysummers volunteering with the Hebridean Whale and DolphinTrust (HWDT) on the west coast of Scotland, furthering myunderstanding of the marine environment and completing my dissertation on the second largest fish in the ocean – theenigmatic basking shark.

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It was during my work with HWDT that I was lucky enough to take part in the JohnMuir Trust’s Journey for the Wild. Wepicked up the baton on Skye and sailedsouth to Eigg, arriving to a traditionalpiped welcome on the beach. There wassomething spiritual about that staff andall that it embodied – calling us to carefor and connect with the wild, and looktowards a greener, wilder future.

R O W I N G S O L OEven while studying at Oxford I hadregular fixes of wilderness – albeit insuburban surroundings. Rowing was my passion and I spent many a morningon the river as the sun rose over thefamous spires. While there, I dreamt of oceans and set about planning thebiggest adventure of my life: a 6,000-kmsolo row across the Indian Ocean fromAustralia to Mauritius.

My inspiration was two-fold: I wantedthe challenge of an epic voyage, but itwas also a trip dedicated to the memoryof my father, who died suddenly in 2006.Having been diagnosed with arthritis atjust 33 years old, his was a journey rackedwith pain and suffering during his finalyears. During those painful times, I hadseen him – albeit briefly – restored andrevitalised by wild places. He had taughtme how to use a map and compass andwe often climbed together. It was out inthe elements where I felt closest to hisfree spirit – and still do.

For me, what proved to be a 124-day oceanrow was much more than an endurancetest or date with nature. It was a way ofdealing with grief and committing to life.My time at sea was everything I expectedand more; the ocean is sublime andintriguing, relentless and timeless,exhilarating and terrifying, calming andinvigorating. A traveller across the deep, I became a voyeur of ocean life and felttruly and wonderfully alive.

When people ask about the best bits ofthe voyage, I remember the infinity blueof 6,000 metres of salty deep; I think ofthe 20-metre-long fin whale that surfacedalongside my much smaller boat; I recallthe Tweedles – my little crew of pilot fishwho followed me for months; of wakingto a peachy sunrise on a calm morning;and of sitting beneath the colandercanopy of a starry night. Pure magic all.

Isak Dinesen was right when she said:“The cure for anything is saltwater –sweat, tears and the sea”. My journeyhelped heal me and was far more thanjust a squiggly line across maps andcharts. Journeys offer insight intoourselves, opening our eyes to the world and granting us at least a littleunderstanding of life, the universe and everything.

S H A R I N G T H E PA S S I O NAfter the ocean, life back on dry land was confusing at first. My plan had beento train as a teacher, but that has sincechanged. I am now writing a book aboutthe journey and sharing lessons from the ocean through talks and workshops. I am enjoying encouraging people tochase their own dreams and experiencethe wild.

And like any adventure junkie, I am also planning the next expedition. The plan is for a shared journey, one in which folk can follow my travels byvideo, podcast and blog. ‘London toLondon, via the World’ will be anattempt to circumnavigate the globe

by land and sea, rowing, cycling andcanoeing. After a ‘warm-up lap’ of theUK, the journey will begin for real in spring 2011.

It is more than just an adventure,however. The journey will act as a vehicle for encouraging people –especially young folk – to engage withthemselves and the outside world. I amexcited about what lies ahead and thewild fires I can help spread. After all,what is joy and wonder if not shared and passed on?

So, I urge you to make the most of todayand all your tomorrows, to create yourown journeys and adventures. Fall inlove with the outdoors and live the waysof a wanderer – even if only for theweekend – and taste a bit of what makesus wild life junkies love the wild life.

About the author

Sarah’s remarkable journey scooped three worldrecords – first woman and youngest person tosolo row the Indian Ocean, and youngest to soloany ocean – and raised £30,000 for arthritischarities. For more on her adventures, visitwww.sarahouten.co.uk, or follow her on twitter:SarahOutenPhotography

1 Close encounters at sea were alwaysmemorable

2 Self portraits were the only option3 Life on the ocean waves4 Back on dry land in Mauritius

i urge you to make the mostof today and allyour tomorrows

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INSPIRING24 The John Muir Award achieves amilestone moment

For everyone who has been involved in the John Muir Award since its earliest days, the presentation of an Explorer Award to Penrith school pupil Jake Atkinson on 1 February by Trustee Dick Allen was a landmark moment. Jake, 13, was part of agroup from Ullswater Community College who had completed a wildlife gardenproject in the school grounds. An impressive amount of work was undertaken,including hedge-laying, dry stone walling, tree planting and pond construction –shifting 22 tonnes of clay in the process.

The wildlife garden has enabled pupils to enjoy being outside, learn about localbiodiversity and help increase the variety of wildlife in the area. Pupils have alsoparticipated in a raft of activities in the Lake District National Park, including helping maintain the Field Study Council’s garden at Blencathra and working with the Forestry Commission on woodland diversity at Whinlatter.

“What I enjoyed most was helping the year six students to achieve the tasks in the eco-garden,” said farmer’s son Jake (pictured left). “I also enjoyed working with my friends and learning new skills to take home and use on the farm.”

Ullswater Community College has been involved in the JohnMuir Award for five years and head teacher Nigel Pattinson isdelighted that Jake’s efforts have been rewarded in this way.“We have a responsibility to develop an awareness of theimportance of our environment, giving students an opportunityto learn about conservation and extending links into othercurriculum areas,” he commented.

100,000 Awards ... and counting The John Muir Award – the Trust’s primary educational initiative – reached a significantmilestone in February with the presentation of its 100,000th certificate. It’s a cause forcelebration, writes Rob Bushby

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inspiration from the harbour andmeadows around Dunbar, the Awardhelps reveal a broader spectrum of wildplaces that are available to us all.

From a Trust perspective, the Awardhelps position our name and ethosalongside a range of agendas, fromeducation to biodiversity and inclusion.Through direct links with more than 700 groups each year, it reinforces thethree strands of Trust activity: conserve,campaign/influence and inspire. Perhapsjust as importantly, it also gives a UK-wide dimension to the Trust with Awardparticipants active from Cornwall to Shetland.

W H I C H WAY N O W ?From the beginning, we have found that the shape of the Award suits thecircumstances of most groups. It alsointegrates with local opportunities andrelates activity to a particular issue – be it curriculum links, biodiversityawareness, healthy lifestyles, or familyshared experience. It has a timelesscapacity for relevance.

Those at the forefront of environmentalcommunication talk of the need for values-based links with nature. Campaigner andwriter Tony Juniper, for instance, stressesthe need to promote direct experiencesand emotional connections. “Make more effort to reach out, get beyond themiddle classes,” he says. Likewise, HuwIrranca-Davies MP, Minister for Marineand Natural Environment, urges us tomake our communications “personaland real”, to create a narrative and tellsuccess stories. “The John Muir Awardsounds like a really positive initiative,” he says. “I commend your success in reaching significant numbers of young people.”

So, the game plan for the next 100,000John Muir Awards is unlikely to beradically different. What is clear is thatthere are still many more opportunitiesto promote connecting with, enjoyingand caring for wild places, while alsoworking with people to share their stories.The John Muir Trust was ahead of thegame when it established the Award and that is very much where we intend to stay.

IN THE BEGINNING

The John Muir Award dates back toNovember 1993 when a draft proposalfrom Graham White was put to theChairman’s Committee of the Trust tocreate a ‘John Muir Environmental AwardScheme’. In essence, the idea was toinvite young people to ‘do something for wild places’, with the schemedesigned to directly involve largenumbers of people in conservation and encourage personal growth bymeans of environmental education.“There is a large and empty green field waiting for someone to raise the standard,” wrote White at the time. “The John Muir Trust should seize the initiative.” As the following comment from PeteCrane, a Trust member and VisitorServices Manager at the CairngormsNational Park, indicates, the importanceof engaging young people in this waycannot be understated: “The John Muir Trust owns no land inthe Cairngorms and yet by doing theJohn Muir Award I feel that my childrenare far better connected to the aims ofthe Trust than they would have been byvisiting any Trust property. The awardenabled our children to discover theirland in new ways that mean somethingto them. If we want to win hearts andminds and encourage a new generationof young people to love wild land then weshould continue to promote and developthe John Muir Award.”

G A I N I N G M O M E N T U MAs well as being a proud moment for Jakeand all at Ullswater Community College,this latest presentation highlights themomentum generated by the John MuirAward. It took 10 years for the first 50,000awards to be achieved (in August 2007),but just a quarter of that time for the next 50,000.

Such growth is thanks largely tosustained links with groups that deliverthe Award and forging long-term strategicrelationships with a variety of organisationsaround the UK. The Cairngorms NationalPark Authority, Cumbria Youth Alliance,Youth Hostel Association and The OutwardBound Trust have all invested heavily inthe Award over the past decade, whilethe likes of Durham County Councilcame onboard last year. All recognise the value of the Award and how it can be utilised to help meet specificorganisational aims.

Its framework offers structure and focus to activity, with four key themes –Discover, Explore, Conserve, Share –helping to break down the big topic of ‘environment’ into bite-sized chunks.Crucially, the Award is free from onerousbureaucracy and celebrates what peopledo at an individual level.

Cumulatively, the sheer scale of activityto date has generated some impressivestatistics. Over a two-month period in 2009,for instance, ‘Conserve’ activity by a totalof 141 groups and 3,055 participants wasvalued at around £250,000 (at NationalLottery volunteering rates). Outputsincluded the creation or enhancement of more than 6,300m2 of ponds, large-scale habitat creation at 100 sites and the maintenance of more than 5,000metres of footpaths.

And the little touches make a difference,too. A one-line email arrived recentlywhich read: “I had occasion to attend a cycling course this week at CarronvaleHouse [Falkirk]. Our hedgerow [plantedin 2007] is doing well!”

T RU S T L I N K SOf course, the involvement of so manyAward participants has not resulted in100,000 people descending en masseonto Trust properties or wild land ingeneral. But what it has done is activelyengage a diverse audience in one aspectof the Trust’s vision: that wild places be valued by all.

And it’s not just the usual suspects that participate – 25% of take-up is byindividuals from excluded backgroundsincluding many that do not usually relate to an environmental agenda. At a time when we are largely disconnected from nature or, as WWF-UK suggests,“marinated in a commercial advertisingculture”, the Award encourages people todip into wildness – at least for a few days.It also places a value on experiencingwhat the writer Robert McFarlane calls“the undiscovered country of the nearby”as much as our grander landscapes. Inthe same way as Muir himself took early

About the author

Rob Bushby is the John Muir Award Manager. He can be contacted at rob@johnmuiraward.orgFor more details on the Award – and the latestJohn Muir Award newsletter – visitwww.johnmuiraward.org

Photography

1 Pupils from Beech Hall School in Cheshireenjoying a beach clean

2 Jake with his certificate – and part of hishandiwork

3 People power – the latest Award newslettercelebrates the milestone in style

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INSPIRING26 Creating a sustainable wood fuelsupply to meet community needs

Together with residents from local estates on Skye, the Trust isexploring the feasibility of developing a sustainable wood fuelsupply to support community energy needs. Fran Lootsprovides an update

I remember passing around the head of Loch Slapin on Skye for the first timesome 25 years ago. The stark, barrenbeauty of Blaven and the Cuillin Ridgerising up like castellated fortresses wasawe-inspiring. The only signs of life I observed were those of Highland cattle whose rusty brown, shaggy coatscontrasted with the solemn grey of themountains. I don’t recall seeing much byway of trees. I guess the forestry plantationsthat now spill down towards the roadwould have been in their infancy then.

On revisiting the area when I took up this post some 18 months ago, I wasstruck by two things: the degradednature of the land around the head of the loch, and the clear felled areas on the way to Strathaird. I couldn’t help but wonder how the landscape mightlook in another 25 years.

Trust staff continue to engage on thispoint with residents from the Strathairdand Torrin estates. The ‘wish list’ isstraightforward: the majority of thoseparticipating want to see increasedbiodiversity; recreational benefits thatrange from places to walk to rediscoveringthe past; plus potential for wood to beused in craft work, for local employmentand for its more obvious use as fuel.

Local school children echo thesesentiments, which is perhaps not

surprising. After all, woodlands are greatfor wildlife and fantastic places for playingand climbing trees. As part of a woodlanddiscussion session with Trust staff lastyear, local children enjoyed a hands-ondemonstration of how to fell a tree andthen cut it into logs for fuel.

“I thought it was fun when Ally [the Skyeland manager] cut down the tree becauseI have never seen a tree being cut downin real life. So cool!” commented oneyoungster. Another remarked: “It wasbrilliant to be out of the classroom in the fresh air. The midges didn’t bother us because we were having so much fun.”

N E X T S T E P SSo, where are we now? We have poredover maps and some clear ideas haveemerged together with practicalinformation on what is likely to growwhere. Discussions have sometimesbeen heated, with differing views on land use a key tension. Overall, however,there is strong support for a long-termsupply of wood for fuel – so ensuring acontinuation of the existing firewoodresource – with a move to hardwood toreplace the monolithic forestry blocks.The Trust has since commissioned awood fuel feasibility study, through theCommunity Woodlands Association, to gauge the viability of providing asustainable operation that would

support the local community and meetthe aims of the Trust.

Initial findings are positive. To besustainable, trees need to be planted ona regular basis. This means that a mixtureof broadleaf species – mainly ash andsome conifer, perhaps spruce – wouldneed to be planted very soon to maintaina supply. However, for this to succeed,the supply would for a time have to onlybe sold locally otherwise it might run out faster than it can be replenished.

If plans to support a sustainable woodfuel supply proceed alongside otherwoodland objectives, we could be lookingat a very different landscape in the areaover the next 25 years. We would seenatural regeneration interspersed with ashand spruce in small, manageable amountsthat together blend into the landscape.

In the meantime, people would haveaccess to a locally-available and carbonneutral form of energy – with localemployment provided into the bargain.Wood as fuel is feasible and can meetmultiple needs if properly planned.

Fuel for thought

i couldn’t helpbut wonder howthe landscapemight look inanother 25 years

About the author

Fran Loots is Communities Officer for the JohnMuir Trust. She can be contacted atcommunities@jmt.orgFollow Fran’s dedicated blog on the Trust’scommunity-led projects www.jmtcommunities.blogspot.com

Photography

1 Skye land manager Alasdair MacPhersonshows Elgol Primary School pupils a logsplitter used on the estates 1

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INSPIRING 27Giving thanks for a stunning set ofimages bequeathed to the Trust

The John Muir Trust is now the proud owner of a vast collectionof photographs taken by the late Dr Gordon Thompson – aman with a lifelong passion for Scotland’s wild places

An Edinburgh astronomer by profession,Dr Gordon Thompson spent much of hislong, happy retirement hill walking andexploring Scotland’s wild places. Between1988 and 2006, he spent around 950 daysand nights away on walking expeditions.He was also a keen amateur photographerin the days before digital cameras andhad a significant interest in geology and archaeology.

Such interests are reflected in a wonderfulcollection of around 3,000 photographsrecently donated to the John Muir Trustby his son, Graham. Dr Thompson’s variedinterests stand out strongly in his powerfuland often poignant shots of mountains,forests, islands, wildlife, rock formationsand standing stones. The collection isespecially strong on the Highlands, theWestern Isles, Orkney and Shetland. He also had a particular love for Skye,noting in 1999 that he was delighted with “several pictures of the Cuillins,which were bathed in sunshine withwoolly white clouds and blue sky”.

But what makes the photos particularlyvaluable is that almost every print hasthe location, date taken and – critically

– a six-figure Ordnance Survey gridreference on the back. We can maybethank his scientific background for such attention to detail. These carefully-recorded details mean the collectioncould be useful to researchers andcommunities looking for a photograph of a specific site over a period of almost20 years.

Dr Thompson’s notebooks of his tripsoccasionally suggest he was himselfaware of returning to places that he had seen before. On 11 March 2003, for example, he was in Glen Tress, andnoted: “I have a very vague memory thatsometime in the distant past I got to thetop of Glen Tress and saw a vast area ofhillside newly planted ... this must havebeen in 1960 ... I wonder if the trees I walked beside today are those I saw then?”

Stuart Brooks, the Trust’s Chief Executive,would like to take this opportunity tothank Graham for gifting these photos.“We are delighted to have been donatedthis extensive visual memory of a lifetime’shill walking in some of Scotland’s mostspecial wild places,” he commented.

“This archive is being indexed and willhelp us refer back to past landscapes.The collection also represents a stunningset of images in its own right – the workof an accomplished photographer whoso patiently captured the steely beauty ofthis island’s northerly fringes.”

Further information

Graham Thompson has established a charity inhis father’s memory, The Blackford Trust. Thecharity has already provided funds towards theTrust’s programme to support partnerorganisations across Scotland that in turn helpyoung people from disadvantaged backgroundstake part in the John Muir Award. www.blackfordtrust.org.uk

Photography

1 Lazy beds, Clashtoll2 Victoria Falls, near Loch Maree

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Life through a lens

CLASSIC TEXTS28 Pioneering author who shapedgenerations of future naturalists

Seton Gordon’sCairngorms, AnAnthology, Compiledby Hamish BrownHamish Brown, whocompiled this anthology ofSeton Gordon’s essays,introduces an author who hada profound influence onfuture generations ofnaturalists and photographers

When I began putting together theanthology Seton Gordon’s Scotland(Whittles, 2005) I, perforce, had to readthrough the author’s 27 books – a taskwhich took years rather than weeks ormonths. Time and again I recognisedboth factual and folklore stories whichwere deeply set in my own consciousnessand it slowly dawned that this wasbecause I had imbibed Seton Gordon as a youngster. Part of my own interest in wildlife and all things of Scottishhistory and culture had their roots in this man’s observations. And if this wastrue generally, it held even more so forthe Cairngorms which I discovered earlyand returned to again and again at any opportunity.

For a decade I was lucky enough to pioneer what is now a somewhatemasculated ‘outdoor education’. We made many multi-day expeditionsinto the Cairngorms, walking the greatLairigs staying in bothies now gone or under the Shelter Stone, climbingsummer and winter routes, skiing on the plateau, enjoying nights in snowholes on Glenmore Lodge courses,watching dotterel and eagle, taking the odd fish, studying deer, botanising –anything and everything that made thatworld whose every aspect was a passionfor Seton Gordon.

One of our best school visits came aboutfortuitously. We had gone to Skye butafter three days of Cuillin monsoon fledeast and, as one of the party wrote in theschool newspaper: “We had a super tripto Skye. We climbed every Munro in the Cairngorms.”

Because Seton Gordon lived to such aripe old and endlessly productive age, we tend to think of him as an old man.But he grew up by the River Dee andwandered the Cairngorms from his teens(his first book appeared when he wasjust 18), already set on studying wildlifeand writing about and photographing it.

When the pioneer naturalist RichardKearton wanted to see and photograph aptarmigan nest he wrote to Seton Gordonwho arranged to take him on the hill. Ondescending from the train, Kearton wassomewhat surprised that the ‘expert’meeting him was a schoolboy.

The Cairngorm Hills of Scotland (1925) is perhaps the most sought-after SetonGordon title, but his second book, backin 1912, The Charm of the Hills, had alsobeen about just the Cairngorms and hasa splendid young man’s enthusiasm inthe writing. It is a discoverer’s book, onewritten on the wings of a first flight. Hereturned to the Cairngorms throughouthis life and many of his later pieces havethe benefit of his greater knowledge and experience.

Seton Gordon’s father was a long-servingtown clerk of Aberdeen, his mother the‘Queen’s Poetess’ and they had a secondhome at Aboyne. At 17, he was presentedwith a “half-plate Thornton Pickard Ruby camera with Dallmeyer Lens” andprogressed from cycle to motorbike tocar in short order at a time when Oxford,where he studied, was mostly for theaffluent or ‘connected’.

Yet out of this background and obviouslywith parental encouragement came our first, and for a long time only, fieldnaturalist- photographer who wouldinfluence so many with his writings.George Waterston, Tom Weir, AdamWatson, Desmond Nethersole-Thompson, Morton Boyd – all haveacknowledged his influence. And hisgreat, earliest influence was this vastunique world of the Cairngorms. We all inherit.

B o o k d e t a i l sSeton Gordon’s Cairngorms, An Anthology,Compiled by Hamish Brown is publishedby Whittles Publishing, price £25.00.www.whittlespublishing.com

The reviewer

A professional writer, lecturer and photographer,Hamish Brown has written more than 20 books,including his first and award-winning Hamish’sMountain Walk. Photography

1 Seton Gordon 2 Spying the Lairig Ghru from Braeriach

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BOOKS 29Landscape protection efforts on both sides of the Atlantic

Th e D aw n o f G re e n , Ma n c h e s t e r,Th i r l m e re a n d Mo d e r nE nv i ro n m e n t a l i s m , by Ha r r i e tR i t v o

Reviewed by Sue Hopkinson

Following what many of us believe to be the Scottish Government’s disastrousapproval of the Beauly-Denny upgrade, it is difficult to know whether to laugh orcry at Harriet Ritvo’s analysis of the battleto save Thirlmere Lake from the grasp ofthe Manchester Water Board (MWB). Theparallels between the campaign wagedby the Thirlmere Defence Association(TDA) nearly 150 years ago and theefforts of our own Beauly-DennyLandscape Group are uncanny.

According to Ritvo, Thirlmere was thefirst campaign to express the full range of modern opinions about large-scaleenvironmental engineering and becamea template for subsequent environmentalstruggles.

The arguments about Thirlmere raged, with the MWB claiming that the damming of Thirlmere was essentialto the livelihoods of working people inManchester, while the TDA argued thatsuch a development would deface anunspoilt valley, destroy the integrity of a uniquely beautiful region and thatalternatives should be sought. Appealingto environmental economics, the TDAargued that “we have no price current forthe beauties with which God has clothedour world”. It urged the government to follow the precedent of YellowstoneNational Park and take the Lake Districtunder its special protection. It alsomobilised support from the great and the good of the time, including OctaviaHill – champion of the preservation ofcommon open spaces.

The MWB, on the other hand, was familiarwith the parliamentary approval requiredfor major municipal improvements and –equally – knew well how to grease thewheels. To their surprise, Parliamentinsisted on establishing a special

committee to consider the public interest in issues such as “the scenery of the Lake” and the need to extractwater from Thirlmere.

However, the outcome was all too familiar:the committee decided in favour of theThirlmere scheme on almost every issue.And while campaigners were assuredthat provisions would be made to ensurelittle or no damage to the scenery, thereality proved rather different. The MWBplundered the woods around Thirlmerefor timber; replaced the deciduous treeswith regimented blocks of pine, spruce,larch and fir; and posted the lakesidewith notices forbidding access.

And in a particularly unwelcome twist,the promoters of the Hetch Hetchy Dam,which John Muir fought so hard toprevent, sent a delegate to Manchesterwho returned with rave reviews aboutthe beauties of the reservoirs of Britain.We all know what happened next.

The Dawn of Green is a compelling,thought-provoking and beautifully-written account of a chapter in historythat speaks loudly at a time when theperceived benefits of renewable energyprojects conflict so dramatically with thepreservation of iconic UK landscapes.

The University of Chicago Press, 2009.Price: $26.00. www.press.uchicago.edu

ISBN: 9780226720821

Wi l d l a n d s P h i l a n t h ro py , Th e G re a tA m e r i c a n T ra d i t i o n , E s s ay s by To mB u t l e r

Reviewed by Bob Aitken

When we in the John Muir Trust thinkabout American wilderness areas andNational Parks, it is normally as publiclands – Federal or State reserves. So, Tom Butler’s book is instructive in showing the scale and variety of American philanthropy in buyingtracts of private land for conservation.

The core of the book is 39 essaysilluminating the personalities anddiverse lands they have protected fromexploitation – ranging from areas in theUS to as far as Tierra del Fuego and evenNamibia. The people vary in style fromyoung activists to magnates such as theRockefellers; their actions range in timefrom the early 1900s to the present day,and in scale from a few hundred to many thousands of acres.

But while the essays, clearly the result of much research, are individuallyintriguing and collectively inspiring,Butler doesn’t take us much beyond an inventory, stopping short of a hardanalytical overview of the issues raisedand the results achieved – not least by the subsequent allocation andmanagement of these purchases.

At almost 40cm square and 5kgdeadweight, this is a mighty tome – a test for the stoutest coffee table. Itslarge format was probably designed tomaximise the impact of the photographsby Antonio Vizcaíno that accompanyeach essay. Alas, by the exalted standardsof modern landscape photography and printing, these illustrations aredisappointing. They are also devoid ofcaptions, perhaps on the basis that thepictures aim to epitomise the characterof each wild area, making exact locationand description superfluous.

Inside this behemoth, a tightly focused,sharply analytical smaller book – onethat could be of great interest and valueto the Trust – is screaming to get out.

Earth Aware Editions, 2008. Price: £24.94.www.earthawareeditions.com

ISBN-13: 978-1-60109-019-5

OPINION30 It is time to invent our own natureconservation ethos

You can’t eat scenery

Trust members usually come to knowJohn Muir through his books such as The Story of My Boyhood and Youth andMy First Summer in the Sierra, whichdescribe Muir’s years of solo explorationand climbing in the High Sierra. But the books tell us little of his 40 years as political campaigner, conservationist and creator of national parks; nor of his role in creating the Sierra Club as a vehicle for legislative change.

Muir did not accept the role of‘campaigner’ willingly; he did not want to waste decades fighting withlawyers, politicians and lobbyists, butfriends convinced him that if he did notaccept this challenge the battle would be lost. He was the right man in the right place at the right time and he knewthat the enemy was already at the gates,writing in his 1888 Essay on Mt Shasta:“The great wilds of our country, onceheld to be boundless and inexhaustible,are being rapidly invaded, and everythingdestructible in them is being destroyed.Every landscape, low and high, seemsdoomed to be trampled and harried. Thewedges of development are being drivenhard and none of the defences of Naturecan long withstand the onset of thisimmeasurable industry.”

In 1889, Muir castigated developers with an article in the San Francisco DailyEvening Bulletin, writing: “If possible,and profitable, every tree, bush and leaf,with the soil they are growing on … wouldbe cut, blasted, scraped, shovelled andshipped away to any market, home or foreign.”

The American conservation ethic, distilledfrom the writings of Thoreau, Emerson,Muir, Olmstead, Leopold, Rachel Carson,Edward Abbey and many others, hasguided the environmental debate in theUS for 150 years. The arguments whichthese visionaries deployed for theconservation of nature were scientific,ethical, moral, aesthetic and spiritual,while the exploiters – the loggers, ranchersand mining companies – used bribes,

political influence and ‘the public good’as bargaining chips to get what theywanted. Muir’s great adversary, theforester Gifford Pinchot, promoted theutilitarian ‘wise-usage’ of nature, asbringing “the greatest good for thegreatest number of people” – an ethoswhich still dominates today. Theutilitarian argument springs from thelegal principle of ‘eminent domain’ inAmerica – similar to that of compulsorypurchase in the UK – which allows theState to forcibly acquire private propertyin the public interest, be it for housing,water supply, railways, or energygeneration.

In the 1890s, to Muir’s despair, the lovelyHetch Hetchy Valley, ostensibly protectedwithin Yosemite National Park, wasdammed and drowned to provide waterfor San Francisco. The city employed the same argument used in the recentBeauly-Denny decision – that publicneed transcended the conservationinterest. In the modern case, however, a‘greenwash’ argument – that ‘low-carbon’windmills reduce global warming – was the key to blighting the Perthshirelandscape with giant industrial structures.Ironically, Scottish wind turbinesgenerated little power during the recentbitter winter: the wind did not blow forsix weeks and conventional power stationshad to work overtime to keep Scots from freezing.

Since the UK population is forecast toincrease to 70 million by 2030, compulsorypurchase will increasingly be used toseize land for housing, roads and energyinfrastructure. If ‘growth’ is the onlyeconomic model, then Beauly-Dennymay be just the beginning. Studiessuggest the UK must build six new citiesthe size of Birmingham within 20 years;whether any national parks or wild areascould survive that is an urgent questionfor all conservation groups to address.

As for Muir, he knew there was no end to campaigning. Lobbyists would alwayshave a rationale for the destruction of

nature. Writing in the Sierra Club Bulletinin January 1896, he lamented: “If onlyone of our grand trees on the Sierra werepreserved as an example of all that is mostnoble … it would not be long before youwould find a lumberman and a lawyer at the foot of it, eagerly proving, by everylaw … that this tree must come down.The battle we have fought is a part of theeternal conflict between Right and Wrong,and we cannot expect to ever see the end of it.”

It was heartening to see the John MuirTrust’s Helen McDade putting forwardsuch an eloquent case against Beauly-Denny on Newsnight Scotland recently.Perhaps it is time for the Trust to revisitthe ethical arguments used by Muir inhis conservation campaigns of the 1890sand which are still employed by theSierra Club today?

If we do not have such a well-developednature conservation ethos as theAmericans, we may just have to inventone, because politicians will always gofor the utilitarian argument. There are nosignificant votes in nature conservationwhen jobs and incomes are at stake – asthey say “you can’t eat scenery”. But JohnMuir would undoubtedly argue thatScotland should preserve her gloriousscenery and exploit it via sustainabletourism rather than blight the landscapewith giant pylons to feed the Euro-gridwith dribbles of intermittent energy.

About the author

Graham White served as founding director of theEdinburgh Environment Centre from 1980 to2001. He recently edited The Wilderness Journeys –A John Muir Reader, published by Birlinn,Edinburgh 2010. Photography

1 Muir’s appearance on a California ‘quarter’underlines the esteem in which he is held in the US

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Photography (aerial shot shown right)KNOYDART: Pockets of snow highlight thenorthern slopes of the ridge running from Stob a Choire Odhair to the summit of Ladhar Bheinn(1,010m). To the east of Ladhar Bheinn the AlltCoire Dhorrcail gathers water from the steep andbarren upper slopes of Coire Dhorrcail (steepsouth-east slopes emphasised by shadowing in thepicture) and flows down through maturing nativewoodland, established by the Trust, into LochHourn at Inbhir Dhorrcail just west of BarrisdaleBay. This spectacular area of wild land has beenprotected by the Trust since 1987. Find out moreat www.jmt.org

Skyview posters published by Globalmapping Ltd.Aerial photography supplied by getmapping.Copyright XYZ Digital Map Company. www.xyzmaps.com

J O U R NA L 4 8 , S P R I N G 1 0Editor: Richard Roweemail: journal@jmt.org

Design and production: Various Creativeemail: ask@various.uk.com

This Journal is printed on Revive 100Uncoated stock, a recycled grade papercontaining 100% post-consumer wasteand manufactured at a mill accredited withISO 14001 environmental managementstandard. The pulp used in this productis bleached using an Elemental ChlorineFree (ECF) process. We use a litho printprocess using vegetable-based inks and a local printer, Woods of Perth, who haveexcellent environmental credentials,achieving environmental standard ISO4001 in 2007 and the FSC and PEFCstandards in March 2008. If you wouldrather receive your publications from theJohn Muir Trust electronically, pleaseemail membership@jmt.org

The John Muir Trust is a Scottish charitablecompany limited by guarantee. Registered office:Tower House, Station Road, Pitlochry PH16 5ANCharity No. SC002061Company No. SC081620

G E N E R A L E N Q U I R I E Semail: admin@jmt.orgtelephone: 0131 554 0114

Fo r t h e f o l l o w i n g p e o p l e a n dd e p a r t m e n t s , c o n t a c t :Pitlochry Office, Tower House, StationRoad, Pitlochry PH16 5ANtelephone: 01796 470 080fax: 01796 473 514

o r u s e t h e i n d i v i d u a l d e t a i l s b e l o wStuart Brooks, Chief Executiveemail: chiefexec@jmt.orgtelephone: 01796 484 934

Alison Russell, Head of Finance &Administrationemail: finance@jmt.orgtelephone: 01796 484 932

Andrew Campbell, Head of LandManagementemail: landmanagement@jmt.orgtelephone: 01796 484 939

Helen McDade, Head of Policyemail: policy@jmt.orgtelephone: 01796 484 939

Mike Daniels, Chief Scientific Officeremail: cso@jmt.orgtelephone: 01796 484 937

Fo r t h e f o l l o w i n g p e o p l e a n dd e p a r t m e nt s, c o nt a c t : Edinburgh Office, 41 Commercial Street,Edinburgh EH6 6JD telephone: 0131 554 0114fax: 0131 555 2112

o r u s e t h e i n d i v i d u a l d e t a i l s b e l o wDavid Picken, Development Manageremail: development@jmt.orgtelephone: 0131 554 0114

Rob Bushby, John Muir Award Manageremail: rob@johnmuiraward.orgtelephone: 0845 458 2910

E x i s t i n g m e m b e r s h i p e n q u i r i e semail: membership@jmt.orgtelephone: 0845 458 8356

Ne w m e m b e r s h i p e n q u i r i e semail: promotions@jmt.org telephone: 0131 554 0114

www.jmt.org

JOHN MUIR TRUST JOURNAL

SPRING 2010

C O N TAC T I N G T H E J O H N M U I R T RU S T

O U R L A N D PA RT N E R S H I P S :

1 Assynt Foundation2 Borders Forest Trust3 Galson Trust 4 Knoydart Foundation 5 Nevis Partnership 6 North Harris Trust

O U R E D U C AT I O NPA RT N E R S H I P S :

7 Cairngorms National Park Authority 8 Cumbria Youth Alliance9 John Muir Birthplace Trust 10 The Outward Bound Trust 11 YHA (England & Wales)12 OASES (County Durham)

john muir trustlands and partners

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OFF THE MAPAerial photography of iconic wild landfrom Skyview. A range of posters is nowavailable online

www.jmt.org/shop