The Nature Conservation Trust movement

With the single exception of Norfolk, the Conservation Trust movement originated in the spate of conservation developments following the Second World War. After a hesitant start it grew rapidly after 1960 and covered the whole of Britian within a few years. At the same time the Royal Society for Nature Conservation (formerly the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves) became the national association of the Trusts, a role which it has increasingly developed. The movement also enjoyed from the outset the support and encouragement of the Nature Conservancy. Intensification of land use in the post-war years caused increasing loss of sites of scientific interest, and the Trusts concentrated their efforts on establishing and managing nature reserves. Their policies and achievements in this respect are described. Increasingly, however, they have sought to influence land use planning and practices in the interests of conservation in the wider countryside and in the urban environment. They have also continued to expand their equally important role in promoting the understanding and enjoyment of nature and the advancement of conservation as a community concern.