Who We Are

History

Essex Wildlife Trust was established in 1959 and has grown from strength to strength, always striving to protect wildlife for the future and for the people of Essex.

How we are run

Essex Wildlife Trust has a Board of Trustees that consists of 13 members, all of whom are unpaid volunteers. The Board meets around six times a year and is responsible for the overall governance and direction of the Trust, whereas operational management of the Trust is the responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer and Senior Managers of the Trust. Three main committees report to the Board: Finance and Audit Committee, HR Committee and Health & Safety Committee.

As well as Essex Wildlife Trust Limited, there are a number of company subsidiaries which are; Essex Wildlife Sales Ltd (retail operations and visitor centre sales), Essex Ecology Services Ltd (consultancy arm), and two locational subsidiaries of Thameside Nature Park Ltd and Chafford Gorges Ltd. TNP, Chafford Gorges and EWT are all charitable bodies, registered with the Charities Commission.

Patron

Mike Dilger

Mike Dilger is an English ecologist, ornithologist and television presenter who is best known for being the wildlife reporter on the BBC television programme The One Show. He attended the University of Nottingham and UCNW Bangor in north Wales.

President

Professor Jules Pretty OBE

Jules Pretty is the Professor of Environment and Society at the University of Essex. He is the author of many books, including The Edge of Extinction and This Luminous Coast, both from Comstock Publishing Associates, and The Earth Only Endures. He is coeditor most recently of Green Exercise.

Staff

Essex Wildlife Trust has around 150 salaried staff, split between our main offices at Abbotts Hall Farm in Colchester, a number of smaller regional offices, nature reserves and our 11 visitor centres across Essex.

Meet the team