
Alastair James Driver
FCIEEM is an English
ecologist, conservationist and
rewilding specialist. He is an
Honorary Professor
Honorary titles (professor, reader, lecturer) in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties. This practice primarily exists in the UK and Germany, as well as in m ...
of Applied
Environmental Management
Environmental resource management is the management of the interaction and impact of human societies on the environment. It is not, as the phrase might suggest, the management of the environment itself. Environmental resources management aims ...
at the
University of Exeter and was the National Conservation Manager for the
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...
from 2002 to 2016. In January 2017 Driver was appointed as Director of
Rewilding Britain
Rewilding Britain is an organisation founded in 2015 that aims to promote the rewilding of Great Britain. It is a registered charity in England and Wales, and also in Scotland.
History
One of the people involved in setting up the charity was Guar ...
and is at the forefront of the rewilding movement in Britain influencing national policy and advising large landowners and landowning organisations. He was described publicly in July 2020 by Environment Minister
Lord Goldsmith as being “a fantastic influence on the national debate around rewilding who could take the credit for rewilding becoming more mainstream”. He is the creator and voluntary warden of
Ali's Pond Local Nature Reserve
Ali's Pond is a Local Nature Reserve in Sonning in Berkshire. It is owned by Sonning Parish Council and managed by the Friends of Ali's Pond.
The nature reserve adjoins King George's Field in Sonning. It was established in 1997 by professional ...
in
Sonning
Sonning is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England, on the River Thames, east of Reading. The village was described by Jerome K. Jerome in his book ''Three Men in a Boat'' as "the most fairy-like little nook on the whole river".
Geogr ...
, Berks, which carries his name.
Education
Alastair Driver was born in
Gloucester, England and educated at Randwick C of E Primary School and
Marling School in Stroud, Glos. He studied Ecology at
Lancaster University
Lancaster University (legally The University of Lancaster) is a public university, public research university in Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established in 1964 by royal charter, as one of several pla ...
and was awarded a BSc Hons degree in 1978. Driver was appointed as an Honorary Professor in Applied Environmental Management by the
University of Exeter in 2016.
Career
Driver was appointed as the first Conservation Officer for the
Thames Water Authority
The Thames Water Authority was one of ten regional water authorities created in the UK on 1 April 1974 under the provisions of the Water Act 1973 to bring together all the water management functions of the region in one public body.
Predece ...
in 1984 and oversaw the development of river and wetland conservation policies, procedures and projects in the Thames catchment through the formation of the
National Rivers Authority
The National Rivers Authority (NRA) was one of the forerunners of the Environment Agency of England and Wales, existing between 1989 and 1996.
Before 1989 the regulation of the aquatic environment had largely been carried out by the ten region ...
in 1989 and the
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...
in 1996. During this period he initiated many partnership projects with voluntary organisations in the
River Thames catchment, including
Otter
Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...
Habitat Projects and
Water Vole Projects with County
Wildlife Trusts
The Wildlife Trusts, the trading name of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, is an organisation made up of 46 local Wildlife Trusts in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and Alderney. The Wildlife Trusts, between them, look after more than 2, ...
, aimed at the conservation and recovery of these threatened species. During this period he also oversaw the environmental aspects of many hundreds of river engineering schemes including the
Jubilee River in Berkshire.
In 2002, Driver was appointed as National Conservation Manager for the Environment Agency, heading up the national team of specialists responsible for all conservation policies and procedures for this public body, until taking early retirement from public service in 2016. In the course of his regional and national roles, he founded or co-founded many initiatives, including the River Restoration Project, The River Restoration Centre the European Riverprize, the UK Riverprize, SuDS for Schools and Catchments in Trust. In 1997 Driver set up the UK Water Vole Conservation Group which he chaired until Sept 2016. This group oversaw the delivery of the
Biodiversity Action Plan for this declining species, including securing full legal protection for water voles in 2008. In recent years Driver has been a strong advocate of natural flood management and especially the acquisition of evidence on the multiple benefits of working with natural processes when managing river catchments. His ongoing compilation of this evidence, known as "Killer Facts", is published online by the Natural Environment Research Council.
Driver was appointed as Director of
Rewilding Britain
Rewilding Britain is an organisation founded in 2015 that aims to promote the rewilding of Great Britain. It is a registered charity in England and Wales, and also in Scotland.
History
One of the people involved in setting up the charity was Guar ...
in Jan 2017, advising major landowners (public and private) on rewilding and influencing national government on policies and funding mechanisms to incentivise rewilding. Recent evidence of this influence are the inclusion of natural regeneration in the England Woodland Creation Offer and the Defra commitment to include rewilding in the Landscape Recovery component of the Environmental Land Management scheme.
Recognition and honours
* Awarded the role of Ambassador for the International Riverfoundation - 2008
* Recipient of the $350,000
International Riverprize on behalf of the
River Thames - 2010
* Admitted as a Fellow of the
Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management Chartered may refer to:
* Charter, a legal document conferring rights or privileges
** University charter
** Chartered company
* Chartered (professional), a professional credential
* Charter (shipping)
* Charter (airlines)
* Charter (typeface)
* Ch ...
(CIEEM) - 2012
* Included in
Who's Who (UK) for "influence and distinction" in the field of environmental conservation - 2013
* Recipient of the CIEEM Small Conservation Projects Award, on behalf of the Friends of
Ali's Pond - 2016
* Awarded
Honorary Professor
Honorary titles (professor, reader, lecturer) in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties. This practice primarily exists in the UK and Germany, as well as in m ...
status by
University of Exeter - 2016
Voluntary roles
International:
* Ambassador, International Riverfoundation, 2008–present
* Judge, European Riverprize, 2013–2016
* Specialist Adviser, Flow Partnership, 2016–present
National:
* Trustee and Council Member, 2000-2002
Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts
The Wildlife Trusts, the trading name of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, is an organisation made up of 46 local Wildlife Trusts in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and Alderney. The Wildlife Trusts, between them, look after more than 2, ...
* Trustee and Council Member, 2010–2020
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
* Natural Environment Advisory Panel Member, 2010-2016
National Trust
* Volunteer Specialist, 2016–present
National Trust
* Specialist Adviser, Wild Trout Trust, 2016–present
Local:
* Voluntary Warden, 1997–present
Ali's Pond LNR
* Specialist Adviser, Knepp Rewilding Group, 2016–present
* Specialist Adviser, River Otter
Beaver
Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
Trial, 2016–present
* Exec Committee Member,
Sonning
Sonning is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England, on the River Thames, east of Reading. The village was described by Jerome K. Jerome in his book ''Three Men in a Boat'' as "the most fairy-like little nook on the whole river".
Geogr ...
and
Sonning Eye Society, 2016–present
* Regular (monthly) guest expert on
BBC Radio Berkshire "Talk on the Wildside" 2017–present
* Natural England Landscape Advisory Panel Member
Natural England 2021–present
Expedition experience
* Expedition team member – Western Australian coast and Pilbara region – 1996.
* Expedition team member and wildlife studies lead for
Scientific Exploration Society
Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...
– Colombian Amazonas – May 2017
* Expedition team member and wildlife studies lead for
Scientific Exploration Society
Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...
Bardia National Park
;
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, photo = Bardiya_02.jpg
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, map_image =
, map_caption = Location in Nepal
, location = Nepal
, map = Nepal
, relief = 1
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, area_km2 = 968
, established = 1988
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, SW Nepal – March 2019.
In addition to the above he has advised on environmental issues around the world including:
* Expert Advisor to the Russian authorities on the establishment and management of the
Meshchyora National Park
Meshchyora National Park (russian: Мещёра (национальный парк)) covers extensive wetlands (swamps, peat bogs, rivers and lakes) and pine/birch woodlands in the Meshchera Lowlands on the East European Plain in Vladimir Oblast, ...
– Russia’s first wetland national park – in 1992.
* Government training tutor on environmental legislation and priorities for the
Commonwealth Secretariat
The Commonwealth Secretariat is the main intergovernmental agency and central institution of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is responsible for facilitating co-operation between members; organising meetings, including the Commonwealth Heads o ...
in the Pacific and Asian regions (2006)
* Senior expert on stakeholder engagement for the EU-China partnership, China (2011)
* Adviser on ecotourism and sustainable management to the 3rd Crown Princess of
Perak
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
, Malaysia (2012)
* Adviser on ecotourism and sustainable management for Grasshopper (environmental NGO),
Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga National Park is a national park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India. The park, which hosts two-thirds of the world's great one-horned rhinoceroses, is a World Heritage Site. According to the census held i ...
, India (2013)
Personal
Alastair Driver was born on 9th Oct 1956. He has been married to Belinda since 1980 and they have three sons, Daniel, Liam and Kieran. He has lived in Sonning, Berkshire since 1987.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Driver, Alastair
English ecologists
English conservationists
Rewilding advocates
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people