Teo Wams
Director Natuurbeheer Natuurmonumenten
“The earth is heating up and the attrition of ecology and biodiversity are imminent. It is vital that we prevent the further extinction of animal and plant species.”
Commitment
From childhood I have been concerned with biodiversity. I remember distributing flyers at the market in Sneek when I was a teenager, protesting the killing of migratory birds in Italy and France. My commitment to nature and my concern about what was wrong inspired me to read biology - precisely because I wanted to make a real contribution. After my graduation I worked for Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands), campaigning for tropical rain forests, among other things. With my work for Natuurmonumenten I am following the passion of my teenage years.
Chances
The Netherlands still concentrates on the production and consumption of goods and products that stimulate the loss of biodiversity. We have to increase awareness of the inherent risks. A long and winding road and one that has to be travelled mostly in people’s minds. That is possible only by informing the public and influencing their mindset with arguments. This is where the Taskforce comes in. The time is right. In the Netherlands we can continue existing policies as our government policies are well-regulated. The projects Ecological Principal Structure and Natura 2000 are doing well and can be completed without problems. The challenge lies in preserving biodiversity on a world scale.
This is the right time to bring up biodiversity. Politics and the general public are interested in the climate. Biodiversity and sustainability are important elements. The earth is heating up and the attrition of ecology and biodiversity are imminent. We are harming our own conditions of existence. Crops are disappearing and we lose raw materials for important medicines. And that is just one example. It is vital that we prevent the further extinction of animal and plant species.
Contribution
The Taskforce cannot get around Natuurmonumenten. We have a long tradition; a century ago our organisation was one of the first to put the issue on the agenda. With almost 900,000 members Natuurmonumenten represents a large portion of the Dutch population. As the director of this organisation and a member of Taskforce I will add the organisation’s contribution as well as my personal commitment to biodiversity.