Environmental Programmes

The Trust has a rich history of environmental advocacy and restoration. At present, attention is focused on developing a large scale land acquisition in Spain, which will then be ‘rewilded’; allowed to develop so that natural processes self-manage a natural ecosystem. 

PDHCT also supports El Grau de L’Inquisidor, a five-year Environmental Improvement Programme launched in 2017. The project, on the site of an organic winery in Barcelona, Spain is part restoration, part advocacy, with ambitious aims to improve and restore the natural environment, as well as offering an educational visitor experience and training for local workers. 

The Trust’s previous environmental work has been largely informed by an over-arching interest in the effects of climate change, combined with a long-term commitment to its partner charities: Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust. 

The Trust has been a valued supporter of UK Wildlife Trusts since 2004. In 2012, Peter De Haan was awarded The Rothschild Medal by the UK Wildlife Trusts, in recognition of his ‘outstanding contribution’ to nature conservation in the UK. “At a time when society is at a crossroads and needs to invest in our natural capital more than ever, it is important to acknowledge people who are contributing not just substantial resources, but also ideas and intellect to the movement,” said Stephanie Hilborne OBE, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts.