Damian Aubrey

Candidate Statement

I first became a Member of the John Muir in 1995 while a student at Aberdeen University. I was an active member, and later President, of the university’s mountaineering club, during which time I spent most weekends climbing, hiking and camping in some of Scotland’s wildest places. I became aware of the Trust’s work to protect some of the places in which I had recreated, and ended up writing my Masters thesis as a management plan for the Trust’s Strathaird Estate.

After completing a degree in Geography and a Masters degree in Rural Resource Planning, and volunteering with Scottish Wildlife Trust, my first job was with Scottish Natural Heritage, working as an Area Officer in the Scottish Borders, where I gained an understanding of UK conservation practices and management of sites designated for their natural heritage, and then as part of the team which would work towards the designation of the Cairngorms National Park in 2003.

As a 23 year old, I then spent a year managing a remote nature reserve on the Uganda/Congo border, before returning to UK to begin a career in wind energy. I worked for over 15 years, in both Scotland and Australia, developing commercial scale onshore wind farms, gaining a thorough understand of planning policies and procedures, the planning consent process and Environmental Impact Assessment, and appeared as an Expert Witness at several public inquiries (I should add that all of our windfarms were outwith designated sites and areas of Wild Land!). I also sat on the Scottish Renewables onshore wind steering committee.

I then took several years out from work and pursued a particular passion of mine – long distance hiking. Over the next few years I would complete successful ‘thru hikes’ of the Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail and Continental Divide Trail in USA, and the Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand. Each of these involved spending around five months hiking unsupported through some of the most pristine wilderness areas, sleeping under the stars and developing an even deeper love of wild places, a greater understanding of their profound impact on the human spirit, and a desire to protect them for current and future generations.

I therefore completed a Masters Degree in Conservation Leadership at the University of Cambridge in 2018, where my thesis involved working with the Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative in USA, which aims to create a multi-thousand mile wilderness corridor to allow isolated pockets of roaming species, such as grizzly bears, elk and wolves, to reconnect.

I am currently caring for my parents, which brings different rewards. It also gives some additional time to offer to the Trust, together with my professional experience in the planning process and conservation, my experience of immersion in wild land and my passion for its protection. I am strongly of the opinion that individuals should be encouraged to experience areas of wild land, since people will only care for its protection if they aware of it, have knowledge of it and have perceived its intrinsic value.

Damien joins us as a co-opted Trustee for one year, as our planning procedures and regulations specialist.

Member since

1995