LEAF Chief Executive Wins British Ecological Society Award

The British Ecological Society today announced that the 2009 Ecological Engagement Award will be presented to Caroline Drummond, Chief Executive of LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming).

The award, which recognises an exceptional contribution to facilitating the use and understanding of ecology, is for Caroline’s tireless work with LEAF over the past two decades – work that has improved the lot of wildlife on British farmland.

Commenting on the award, Caroline said: “I am truly honoured to receive such a prestigious award from the British Ecological Society. I am lucky that through my work and the great people I work with, I have been given the opportunity to indulge in my great passion – the need to deliver a more sustainable food chain. This award is a tremendous inspiration for me. I feel an even greater motivation to encourage people to recognise the importance of nature.”

Announcing the winner of this year’s award, Dr Peter Carey, chair of the British Ecological Society public and policy committee, said: “Through Caroline’s tireless efforts, 16% of all UK fruit and vegetables are grown to LEAF Marque standards and as a result, the farmed environment is a better place for wildlife and far fewer pesticides and fertiliser are used. This year's Open Farm Sunday, organised by LEAF, attracted 140,000 members of the public to visit farms and gain a better understanding of how the British environment is intimately tied to farming practice.”

“LEAF has also recently developed a ground-breaking environmental toolkit for farmers. ‘The LEAF Green Box' is a great way to help farmers carry out simple monitoring of biodiversity, soil and water and demonstrate what they are doing for the environment. And LEAF has many Demonstration Farms and Innovation Centres across the country that are open to other farmers and the general public, that bring together farmers and researchers to spread the word about environmental good practice. Without Caroline, little of this would have been possible,” he added.

The Ecological Engagement Award will be presented at the BES Annual Meeting on Wednesday 9 September 2009 at 17:00 at the University of Hertfordshire.


Notes

1. For more information, please contact Becky Allen, Press Officer, British Ecological Society, tel: 01223 570016, email: beckyallen@ntlworld.com.

2. Caroline Drummond has run LEAF since its inception in 1991, after lecturing in agronomy at Shuttleworth College, and is now its Chief Executive. She works throughout the UK and Europe developing and promoting Integrated Farm Management through demonstration farms, management tools, including the LEAF Audit, through to the market place with LEAF Marque produce. She was awared an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours (2009). She is a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies, a Fellow of the Institute of Agricultural Management and is on the Board of Rothamsted Research and CPRE, and is a governor for the Royal Agricultural College and the British Nutrition Foundation. Caroline is married to a dairy farmer in Cornwall and they have a young daughter.

3. The Ecological Engagement Award is an annual award to recognise an exceptional contribution to facilitating the use and understanding of ecology. The Award is an honorarium of £1,000 plus a certificate. The award is given annually at the BES Annual Meeting.

4. The British Ecological Society is a learned society, a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. Established in 1913 by academics to promote and foster the study of ecology in its widest sense, the Society has 4,000 members in the UK and abroad. Further information is available at www.britishecologicalsociety.org.

5. LEAF is committed to a viable agriculture which is environmentally and socially responsible and ensures the continuity of supply of safe, affordable food while conserving and enhancing the fabric and wildlife of the British Countryside for future generations. Further information is available at www.leafuk.org.