East Anglian Conservationist takes top honours at National Awards Embargoed until 00:01 on Thursday 15th March, 2012
Renowned conservationist and red squirrel breeding expert, David Stapleford from Norfolk, has been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award by the national conservation charity, the Red Squirrel Survival Trust (RSST).
At a presentation ceremony held on 15 March 2012 at Pensthorpe Wildlife and Gardens, near Fakenham in Norfolk, David was presented with the prestigious award by Robin Page, Chairman of the Countryside Restoration Trust.
The proud recipient of the Hedley Bronze, a bronze sculpture of a squirrel donated by RSST patron Martyn Hedley, David also received a letter of congratulations and flowers from His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. The ceremony was attended by family, friends and colleagues of David’s, including Bill and Deb Jordan, Trustees of the Pensthorpe Conservation Trust.
“We are delighted to present David with this award,” said Miles Barnes, RSST Chairman. “He has devoted much of his adult life to the breeding and conservation of the red squirrel. With an estimated 3,000 volunteers involved in red squirrel conservation throughout the UK, David’s ongoing dedication and desire to share his knowledge for the greater good of the cause, is an inspiration to us all. We are also extremely grateful to Pensthorpe for joining us in honouring David and giving him the recognition he so richly deserves.”
David, who lives near Fakenham spent many years breeding red squirrels in an enclosure in his back garden, whilst also working as Head of the local Primary school. In more recent times he co-founded the East Anglian Red Squirrel Breeding Programme, before teaming up with Bill and Deb Jordan, of Jordans cereals and owners of the Pensthorpe Wildlife and Gardens, to continue the work he describes as being ‘closest to his heart’. David is also adviser to the Countryside Restoration Trust (CRT) which launched its own red squirrel breeding programme at its Mayfields smallholding at Themelthorpe, in Norfolk, last year under the patronage of Robin Page and has subsequently become a member of the East Anglian Red Squirrel Group.
Deb Jordan, Trustee of the Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, said: “David is without doubt a truly remarkable man who is so incredibly deserving of this award. His passion and love of red squirrels has been an absolute inspiration to all of us at Pensthorpe who have been privileged to work and learn from him in his quest to save red squirrels. No-one could have worked more tirelessly for such a worthwhile cause.”
Comments Robin Page, Chairman of the Countryside Restoration Trust : “I cannot praise David highly enough – as a man, a teacher and as a conservationist. His contributions to creating a better world have been enormous and cannot be measured. David thoroughly deserves this recognition, which is long overdue.”
The winners of the remaining categories in the RSST Volunteer of the Year Awards will be announced at the end of March.
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Contact details
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Notes for Editors
About David Stapleford
David first became interested in red squirrels as a boy when he was evacuated to Kingsclere, in Hampshire, in 1940 from Battersea in London. More than 40 years later he is still hooked, and his pioneering work on captive breeding has been widely recognised, along with his book, “An Affair with Red Squirrels – Forty Years of Squirrelmania”.
David’s first close-up experience with red squirrels was when his teacher showed pupils a red squirrel during nature class. During the 1960’s, further inspiration came from a Sunday Times booklet on red squirrels which mentioned their breeding in captivity. At this time he also visited Thetford Forest in Suffolk and saw 23 red squirrels at close quarters during a walk one afternoon. After this he took up captive breeding, believing this to be the best way to ensure against extinction. His first attempts did not go quite to plan as the pair of squirrels he brought turned out to both be female! However, his knowledge soon grew and today he is recognised as a leading expert in this field.
About the Red Squirrel Survival Trust
The Red Squirrel Survival Trust (RSST) is a UK charity established to ensure the conservation and protection of the red squirrel in the UK. Its Patron is HRH The Prince of Wales and its ambassadors are Alan Titchmarsh, Sir Chris Bonington Eric Robson and Katie Hillier.
RSST works in partnership with dedicated and knowledgeable local groups around the country. It aims to protect red squirrels by keeping reds and greys apart, stabilising new and existing populations, funding research to secure the red squirrel’s long-term future and raising awareness of the plight of the red squirrel.
About the East Anglian Red Squirrel Group
The East Anglian Red Squirrel Group was co founded by David in 1997 and consists of ten organisations and individuals. The Groups aim is to help the conservation of Red Squirrels in their captive breeding programme and the education of the public to the plight of the British Red Squirrel by supporting release programmes into safe (grey free) areas of woodland.
About red squirrels
Around 75% of the 120,000 red squirrels remaining in the UK are found in Scotland. In England, reds can still be found in Cumbria, Northumberland, North Yorkshire, Merseyside and the Isle of Wight.
Reds died out many years ago from their former southern strongholds of Thetford Forest in Norfolk and Cannock Chase in Staffordshire. However, a project aiming to reintroduce the species to Cornwall is underway which hopes to bring red squirrels back to southern England in the next five years.
For more information about RSST, visit www.rsst.org.uk.
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