Centenary of Wildlife Trusts

One hundred years ago yesterday, Charles Rothschild (at a time when banking was a respectable activity), purchased a section of Woodwalton Fen in Cambridgeshire, effectively starting the Wildlife Trust (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18013101). Being ahead of his time, he recognised that conservation needed to protect habitats where species lived rather than to just focus on the favoured species per se. This also led to the idea that public access to such areas was important if one wanted to encourage continued support for such initiatives. The only addition to his thinking that seems to have been added is the attempt to link together protected areas to enhance their functionality.