Trust CEO brings wild places to Boat Talks

David Balharry talks wild places, the life of John Muir and the future of the John Muir Trust at Boat of Garten community event in the Cairngorms.

At the end of January, CEO David Balharry was invited to share his thoughts about wild places and the Trust’s ambitions to ensure they are protected for future generations.

His presentation was the latest in a series of "Boat Talks" hosted at Boat of Garten Community Hall in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park.

The Boat Talks have been facilitating interesting discussion for over two decades. Around 70 people came out to hear David, including local Trust Members.

After an introduction from Boat of Garten Community spokesperson Mike Martin (pictured above right), David started the evening with an introduction to the themes of his talk: our ability to protect wild places globally, our cultural relationship with wild places, the consequences of short-term thinking and how we as a society can work together to make the changes needed.

Stressing the importance of this last theme, he said: “My aim is to convince you that we can do much more for the environment than we’re doing right now - I think all the environmental bodies could be working much more effectively together.”

David also covered the language we use when we talk about wild places, explaining the difference between 'wild', 'wild land' and 'wild places' and how the Trust uses these terms.

He went on to explain the threats currently faced by wild places, making reference to over grazing, non-native species and constant attrition.

David ended his talk by emphasising the importance of direct action and reaching out to these different communities, leaving the audience with a task: “We need to reach out to ask whether people want to protect wild places in the UK, and if so, how can we get their support.”

The evening ended with an opportunity for questions from the audience. A prize of a wooden spear, hand carved by David, was awarded to a Life Member of the Trust for asking the most direct and challenging question.

A huge thank you to Boat of Garten Community Centre for inviting the Trust to take part in this series of Boat Talks.

• Watch David’s Boat Talk on Boat of Garten’s YouTube channel

The History, Work & Ambitions of the John Muir Trust, with speaker: David Balharry