Interviews  >  Paul Masterton: Animal Magic

Gerald durrell is arguably one of the most recognisable names in the field of conservation. as founder of the durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, the late author and naturalist created a lasting legacy that has seen that name carried far and wide. Indeed, the Trust now works in some of the most threatened habitats in the world and has made a significant difference to more than 50 endangered species – and all from its base in Jersey.

Continuing that legacy is a team of conservationists and volunteers – not only in Jersey, but all around the globe. and in charge of making sure the Trust delivers on its conservation mission is CeO Paul Masterton. He spent some time explaining to businesslife.je the challenges involved and the fulfilment of carrying on such important work.

Could you begin by telling us how you ended up in Jersey?

In 1987, I married a girl from Trinity who I met when we were at university in london together. While we lived in america for many years, our plan was to return to Jersey in time, and that happened in 2003. at the time, I was running a major printing and communications business in europe, usually leaving on Monday morning and returning Friday. So for the first five years, Jersey was my weekend home!

So how did you go from that to Durrell?

I was at a point in my career where I had a high-level job and all the pressures that came with it. I decided it was time for a sanity check and to try something new. as I was making this decision with my family, the opportunity at durrell came up. The board were looking for someone with a business background to address the leadership problems and financial challenges facing the Trust and it felt like a good fit.

So it was your business skills as opposed to your conservation background that sealed the deal?

Exactly. I don't have a conservation background, but it was the right time and the right place – for me and for durrell. For a relatively small organisation, the impact that durrell has through its conservation programmes – here in Jersey and in our many projects overseas – is truly immense. What the Trust didn't have was a business mindset that would make sure it would be around in another 50 years. My role is to ensure that we are a healthy organisation, financially sustainable, with a clear vision for the future and a road map to get us there.

Did you have an interest in conservation before?

Absolutely, and a growing fear of what we are all doing to the planet. My wife has been a member since her early days in Jersey and we are long-time family members. Now at durrell I can work directly on these concerns and, hopefully, make a difference.

Tell us about some of Durrell's most recent successes.

Over the years, many species have benefited from what I call the ‘durrell treatment'. For instance, durrell has been working in St lucia with endangered species for 20 years. This year we will report that the St lucian parrot has been recovered from the brink of extinction – once down to a handful of breeding pairs, there is now a sustainable population of over 2,000 pairs. It's a remarkable turnaround.

Essential to our conservation mission is the work here on Jersey in developing our animal husbandry expertise. This is the detailed knowledge of the animals themselves and the understanding of what they need to thrive and survive. For example, there is a small reptile called a Nactus gecko, which is a building block for island ecosystems in the Indian Ocean. We're successfully breeding them here in specialised conditions and we'll reintroduce hundreds of them to islands near Mauritius to begin to rebuild habitats there. a truly unique Jersey export!

Do you think that people criticise Durrell without really understanding it?

The visitor attraction and wildlife collection that people visit is really just a shop window on everything we do – much of what durrell does goes on behind the scenes. I think it is a constant challenge for us to communicate everything that durrell works on and accomplishes and the vital conservation role the Trust has. We are working hard to create this understanding in Jersey.

Everything we do is targeted at our conservation mission. essentially, there are three ‘legs' to durrell; first, our conservation field programmes, with a natural focus on islands – including Madagascar, Mauritius and the Comoros in the Indian Ocean, St lucia, Montserrat, antigua and others in the Caribbean, the Galapagos and, of course, Jersey. We manage 45 projects across 14 countries. Second is our International Training Centre, which is a mini-university right here in Trinity. We've trained more than 2,700 students of all levels, from more than 130 countries around the world. The third ‘leg' is the wildlife park itself, which is a visitor attraction, but more importantly a centre for animal husbandry excellence. Working together, these three enable the success of our mission of saving species from extinction.

Do you think people still perceive Durrell as being Jersey Zoo?

Yes, but I don't get upset by this as long as we can create the understanding that durrell is so much more – and that, at our core, we are a conservation charity. Having a visitor attraction is very important to us as it helps educate people about the pressures the natural world is under, and it is a significant income generator for us. But, fundamentally, durrell isn't here to be a visitor attraction, it is here because of our conservation mission.

With Durrell being a charity that relies heavily on visitors, how were you affected by the recession?

The recession has hit hard, impacting all our sources of income. With less disposable income, charitable giving is down, as are donations from philanthropic trusts. More positively, I'm delighted to say that our membership base, which is a huge part of Durrell, has remained very solid and I am truly grateful for our passionate supporters. Falling tourism is an additional problem, hitting admissions and secondary spend. But we are dealing with these challenges and are looking at additional revenue streams, including the possibility of durrell offering tourist accommodation, potentially luxury safari camping and self-catering chalets. We are also, with thanks to the States of Jersey for a fiscal stimulus grant, redeveloping our visitors' centre, doubling it in size to include a coffee shop and a much larger retail area.

We must work hard to bring more people here to Durrell, both tourists and residents, and to give visitors more reasons to come and to come more often. Once they're here we must deliver the best possible experience and value for money, ensuring they ‘connect' with durrell and become lifelong supporters.

With regard to value for money, how would you respond to criticisms that you are expensive?

We benchmark our entrance fees against other island attractions and similar attractions in the UK, and we are comparable. Our membership rates are especially good value. But this feedback is important and we are listening. We've made improvements to the site, with more to come. We want visitors to see Durrell as tremendous value for money, an essential place to see, and one that delivers an inspiring and educational experience.

Do you feel that the Jersey tourist industry does enough to market Jersey in a way that is good for the island and for Durrell?

The numbers show that tourism continues to decline. I believe that we must start presenting Jersey in a very different way, targeting specific market segments and accepting that we are no longer a ‘traditional' holiday destination. For me this requires a completely fresh approach – we have great assets and must present them effectively.

How do you find life in Jersey?

I‘ve experienced and enjoyed working and living in many countries – in the uS, europe and asia. I don't waste much time in comparing places but, as a relatively recent resident here, I can see just how good Jersey is. I read and hear a lot of criticism of the island – some justified – but, and this is a big ‘but', Jersey has huge advantages as a place to live. Of course there is always room for improvement, but we should be proud of and cherish what we have.

So, what is next on the agenda for you and for Durrell?

We will continue to develop our conservation programmes and deliver on our plans to improve the wildlife park. Our conservation mission is going fantastically well – Durrell is truly making a difference. The number one priority is to make durrell sustainable and to ensure that our work continues.

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