What heritage means to me: Paul Hetherington

What heritage means to me: Paul Hetherington

Paul Hetherington, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Buglife
Paul Hetherington, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Buglife Kay Ransom
Paul Hetherington, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Buglife, explains how they are helping bring native critters Back from the Brink.

How do you define “heritage”?

Heritage is, in a word, irreplaceable. Natural heritage is the landscape, flora and fauna that sustains our species. Historical and cultural heritage is our roots as people; our history and the lessons learnt from it. Heritage is inspiring, engaging and too valuable to be lost.

Tell us about what you do at Buglife

Buglife is the only charity in Europe devoted to the conservation of all invertebrates, and is actively working to save Britain's rarest bugs, bees, butterflies, ants, worms, beetles and many more fascinating creatures.

I am the Director of Fundraising and Communications, so I liaise with potential funders to raise the monies needed for conservation work and co-ordinate how we spread the word to the public about the many benefits and misconceptions around the small things that run on our planet.

What’s Buglife’s role in the Back from the Brink project?

Buglife is leading the way on invertebrates within Back from the Brink. The project, which aims to save 20 of the UK’s native species from extinction, is divided into a number of smaller projects -  we are leading the Ancients of the Future project, about deadwood and the species that depend on it, plus the ladybird spider and Narrow-headed ant single-species projects. We are also really involved in most of the other projects and have five staff members dedicated to making them a success.

[quote]Being part of Back from the Brink is frankly awe-inspiring[/quote]

Why did Buglife decide to take part in the project?

Back from the Brink grew out of the original State of Nature report back in 2013: some contributors to the report got together and decided that we must collaborate to stem the decline in our native flora and fauna. Buglife has been on board from the start and we’re really excited with the way such a ground breaking integrated project has come together.

What’s your favourite aspect of Back from the Brink?

The best thing about Back from the Brink is the way it champions so many endangered species and raises them in the public consciousness. A lot of the endangered species the project is focussing on are ones that the public may have never heard of before, and without this project bringing them back from the brink of extinction, might only have found out about in museums. Beetles with evocative names such as the Queen’s Executioner for example, are a beautiful but relatively unknown animal.

What’s it like being part of a big project like Back from the Brink?

Being part of Back from the Brink is frankly awe-inspiring. The collective power harnessed by so many disparate organisations working together to deliver benefits for so many species is ground-breaking and heartening – who wouldn't want to be part of it?

What inspired you to work in heritage? 

I have had a lifelong interest in nature, growing organically and sowing wildflowers in my patch of garden from my earliest memories, despite my parents claiming I was growing weeds! In particular I was fascinated by the once much more common stag beetles. That childhood enthusiasm has never diminished and when the opportunity to join Buglife came along I embraced it with open arms.

[quote]Heritage is all about where we have come from, our grounding, our history, and our lifeblood.[/quote]

Is there a piece of natural heritage that particularly inspires or resonates with you?

The course of the River Tees in High Teesdale where it flows over Cauldron Snout, High Force and Low Force. This is an area of amazing heritage from rare species such as the Juniper Forest, geological significance in terms of the Whin Sill cutting across the landscape and the industrial heritage of many abandoned mineral mines and spoil tips all rolled into one.

What’s your favourite heritage within in the UK?

My favourite heritage is our natural heritage, something that can be studied even in the smallest garden, but I also have a soft spot for Framlingham Castle. As a child it was always my favourite place to visit especially since a trip there would also encompass a ramble on the Suffolk heaths.

Why do you think heritage is important?

Heritage is all about where we have come from, our grounding, our history, and our lifeblood. Even in our busy modern lives, there is so much we can learn from it.

And now for the quickfire round: Do you have a favourite historical figure?

George Loveless (Tolpuddle Martyr)

Do you have a favourite meal?

Thai green vegetable curry

Do you have a favourite film?

If (Lindsay Anderson)

 

You might also be interested in...