We chat to Karen Goldie-Morrison, Butterfly Conservation’s new Chair.
When did you first get into watching and recording butterflies?
“I’ve always loved butterflies and have been a Butterfly Conservation member since the 1980s. Now, as a former business leader and someone passionate about conservation, I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to put my skills at the service of this brilliant organisation.”
How did you become a volunteer?
“In 2015, I was invited to a special event on Exmoor to see the High Brown Fritillary. We had a wonderful day, but it was also the first time I heard anyone directly say that we had created ecological deserts around us throughout the UK. To me, that was shocking, as I hadn’t fully realised the extent of the damage we have caused to the environment and to wildlife. So I became a BC volunteer. Around the same time, my family moved to Barnes in south-west London, where some of the acid grasslands have not been ploughed for 400 years. Nobody had surveyed the butterflies, so I started walking transects. I loved it so much that I was known as the Butterfly Lady of Barnes!”
The ecological crisis feels overwhelming…how can we make a difference?
“Many movements for change spring from individuals working locally, and that’s what BC has been so good at. If people work on something in their neighbourhood that inspires them, two things can happen. One is that they will feel better about the situation and the second is that they will make things better.
Has conservation changed since you first became actively involved?
Degradation of the environment, climate change and species loss are such huge challenges that conservation organisations like BC need to join forces to have any chance of halting further declines in our wildlife. We all have to work together in order to combat these crises.
How do you feel as BC’s first female Chair, working with its first female CEO?
“It’s well known that women have different perspectives and can bring new insights to organisations when they reach leadership positions, so I’m delighted to be the first female Chair of Trustees. I know that Julie Williams and I will work very well together as we build on Butterfly Conservation’s fantastic achievements over the past 50 years.”
