RSPB tribute to former President Magnus Magnusson
Howard Lake | 8 January 2007 | News
The RSPB was deeply saddened to hear that Magnus had lost his fight against illness.
Magnus was President of the RSPB from 1985 to 1990. During that period he co-ordinated and hosted many of the Society’s major public events during our UK Centenary year in 1989, and helped usher in a period of major expansion in support for the RSPB. As a result membership of the organisation passed the half million mark for the first time.
Magnus was also a serious and thoughtful conservationist. He helped bring the damage being done to the Flow country of Caithness and Sutherland to public notice. With the RSPB, he flew news crews over the area demonstrating the destruction being done to this wild and ancient landscape by inappropriate forestry.
His vivid and moving account helped pave the way for conservation action, which continues to this day. His knowledge and natural abilities as a communicator made the Flow Country a cause celebre.
Magnus particularly valued the support of volunteers in the RSPB’s work, having as a schoolboy contributed to essay competitions run by the Society. Accordingly he established our Presidents award system where long serving or particularly dedicated volunteers are celebrated at the Society’s AGM.
Upon retiring from the RSPB Magnus was first the Chairman of the Nature Conservancy Council Scotland, and then the made the first Chair of Scottish Natural Heritage, the Scottish Executive’s Conservation advisors.
Graham Wynne, the RSPB’s Chief Executive, said: “Magnus cared passionately about people and conservation. His skills as a communicator could bring dry issues alive to all audiences. He had a knack of saying the right things at the right time, and his enthusiasm for environmental education and volunteering will leave a lasting legacy with the RSPB, as part of its core work in all parts of the UK.
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For more information contact John Clare, RSPB media officer, on 01767 680551.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
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