Stephen Trotter joins Cumbria’s biggest wildlife charity following his previous national role as The Wildlife Trusts’ Director for England and Living Landscapes. Stephen succeeds Peter Bullard who retired as Director of Cumbria Wildlife Trust after 30 years of service.
Stephen says: “I’ve visited Cumbria all my life – I love the place and it’s a privilege to work and live here. Cumbria Wildlife Trust is doing lots of exciting things for people and wildlife and I’m really looking forward to working with a team that has already achieved so much”.
“My aspiration is to help restore nature where it is lost or degraded and to create a nature recovery network across Cumbria. There are some big challenges but lots of exciting opportunities to bring wildlife back where we need it – and make the natural world ever more important in people’s lives. I know just how important wildlife is to my personal health and happiness and I believe that everyone’s life is better with wildlife.”
Stephen is a lifelong naturalist, passionate nature conservationist and advocate for better access to the natural world. He has been excited and inspired by wildlife and wild places since early childhood. With a degree in Botany (Ecology) from Imperial College and a post graduate Diploma in Management Studies and MSc in Countryside Management from Manchester Metropolitan University, he has worked in the conservation and land management sector for more than 30 years.
Stephen worked for the National Trust for 20 years including 10 years as Property Manager for the National Trust’s High Peak and Longshaw upland estates in the South Pennines, which cover around 9% of the Peak District National Park between Sheffield and Manchester. In 2006, Stephen joined the New Forest National Park Authority as Director of Conservation, Recreation and Sustainable Development. Here he helped to set up and establish the new National Park, being responsible for its first statutory purpose of conserving the Park’s special qualities.
In 2010, Stephen was appointed Chief Executive for Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and in 2014, he moved to become Director, England and Living Landscapes for The 37 Wildlife Trusts in England.
Outside work time, Stephen is a passionate naturalist and student of everything in the outdoors, loves walking and spends far too much time trying to get better at wildlife photography. He is fascinated by landscape history; and is ‘addicted’ to books, cricket and curry.
John Farmer, Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Chair says: “Cumbria Wildlife Trust is very fortunate to find someone of Stephen’s calibre to run our successful and increasingly important charity. I am confident he will ensure we build on our many previous successes to enhance and protect the exceptional wildlife in Cumbria.”
