Earthwatch moves to Europe
1984 was another landmark year for Earthwatch, as a meeting of scientists, academics, and businessmen at the Royal Geographical Society chaired by one of the influential US founders, Brian Rosborough, led to the founding of Earthwatch Europe. The charity registered its name in 1985, and was chaired by the eminent conservationist Max Nicholson, with a board of trustees including Sir Crispen Tickell and Herschel Post.
Max Nicholson believed passionately in the Earthwatch model, and quickly moved to recruit Brian Walker as the first European Executive Director - his last job before retirement, after a string of top jobs in the development and environmental fields, including two terms as Director General of Oxfam.
The European office opens
1990 marked the opening of an Earthwatch office in Oxford, employing a small team of 6, with a handful of office volunteers. Brian immediately positioned Earthwatch as an NGO that was prepared to talk to the corporate sector- at a time when most environmentalists were reluctant to talk with the business community. Brian started a Corporate Environmental Responsibility Group, which has grown from a membership of 6 to 33.
This new group aimed to engage companies on environmental issues by demonstrating the business case for conservation, and by providing education programmes to help raise understanding and awareness of environmental issues within companies. This model has been a key feature of Earthwatch's European success.
Brian Walker also harnessed the concept of ‘fellowships' - funded placements on Earthwatch projects for different sectors of society. The fellowship programmes now include teachers, conservationists and scientists from developing countries, corporate employees, students, and disadvantaged members of the community. These programmes enable Earthwatch to engage a whole range of individuals in conservation, and now the European office sends about 600 funded individuals onto projects every year.
Another key innovation was the development of ‘community action projects' for returning volunteers. This provided funding and advice for individuals to start their own environmental project in their local community. This model has been successful in developing a wider network of conservation initiatives and support, by engaging friends, family, and the local community in the conservation cause.
The present day
Today, Earthwatch in Europe has grown to a turnover of £4.5million, with c. 60 staff, volunteers and interns. The office receives a range of funding, from general public, corporates, governments, foundations and trusts. The European office sends out over 1100 volunteers to work on its research projects each year, contributing the equivalent of 55 years of scientific research. Under the direction of it's Executive Director, Nigel Winser, Earthwatch is now looking at how to maintain this level of growth, and to expand its activities to continue the quest to engage ever-increasing numbers of individuals and organisations in the Earthwatch mission towards a sustainable environment.