Dr Nick Hesford has been appointed Director of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) in Scotland.
Having started his GWCT journey spending a year as a BSc student in 2010, Nick joined GWCT’s Uplands Research team in 2017 with a PhD in Biodiversity and Community Ecology and has worked on a variety of both English and Scottish projects, including research on red and black grouse, capercaillie and wading birds, and most notably has led on GWCT research projects on mountain hares in Scotland.
Having previously worked for both ecological consultancies and rewilding charities, he has helped deliver practical conservation and habitat restoration at landscape scale.
He took over as Interim Director of GWCT Scotland in January this year, and was appointed to the post full-time on 12 May.
Nick says: “I’m honoured to take on the role of Director for GWCT in Scotland.
“Ever since I first joined the Trust as a placement student in 2010, where I worked on red-legged partridge and pheasants with Dr Rufus Sage and Dr Roger Draycott, I’ve been inspired by GWCT’s commitment to delivering science-based conservation in working landscapes. It’s a real privilege to now be leading such a passionate and knowledgeable team.
“Scotland has a distinct political landscape and its own unique ecosystems. This combination means Scotland’s countryside is facing increasingly complex environmental challenges. I’m thrilled to be in a position to help drive forward our work to support both biodiversity and sustainable land management.”
Nick von Westenholz, CEO of the GWCT, says: “Nick’s appointment followed a rigorous process open to both internal and external candidates and, following considerable interest in the role, I am delighted that we were able to make an appointment quickly.
“Nick knows the Trust inside out, having worked for both our research and our advisory arms, and has headed up our Advisory service in Scotland for the last two years. I very much look forward to working with him as our presence in Scotland develops under his leadership there.”
Nick lives in the Scottish Borders, where he enjoys training and working gundogs and other sporting pursuits.