Dedicated To The Protection And Restoration
Of Wild Areas
The European Nature Trust supports the most effective conservation projects across Europe and Belize. We choose to work with grassroots environmental foundations, each working at landscape-scale with local communities, to protect and restore living landscapes. Our long-term support helps to catalyse and amplify conservation efforts, lifting organisations driving the recovery of nature.
Through our work, we help people reconnect with the natural systems on which we depend. Our network of conservation projects allows companies, donors and partner foundations the opportunity to maximise their impact.
A Legacy Of Stewardship
The European Nature Trust was founded in 2000 by Paul Lister, a passionate conservationist, determined to invigorate the wildlife of our continent. After years in the family furniture business and the sudden ill health of his father, Paul had an awakening; he saw the damage that had occurred across Europe’s ecosystems, and launched a mission of rejuvenation. In 2003, he purchased Alladale Wilderness Reserve in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, now the focus of a pioneering rewilding and ecotourism initiative. Simultaneously, he set up TENT as a vehicle to catalyse and amplify conservation projects across the continent.
At TENT, we are working to preserve the wild areas that remain, and restore those that have been lost.
One Goal
A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER, PAUL LISTER.
My fascination for the natural world was born from an early love of travel and adventure. Whilst the majority of conservation work is focused on Africa, Asia and South America, TENT works on the protection of the last remaining wild corners of Europe.
In Romania we are supporting the establishment of a National Park, since the country has the most extensive tracts of virgin and old-growth forests in Europe, with the highest concentration of large carnivores on the continent. In Spain the endangered Iberian lynx and Cantabrian brown bear have clung from the brink of extinction, and numbers are increasing due to the concerted action of NGO’s. In Italy, 60 Marsican brown bears are highly threatened, and without support will vanish forever. In Portugal, the wild is returning to abandoned farmland, creating the potential for a new rural tourism-based economy.
To ensure that Europe’s wild areas have a future, vital conservation work is yet to be done. Efforts are needed in areas that are threatened by illegal logging activity: since the fall of communism, Romania’s ancient forests have been under attack from multinational logging companies and corruption. Over the last millennia Scotland has lost 97% of its native woodland cover, leaving a sanitised landscape, brimming with deer and no large carnivores to keep numbers in balance.
Belize is the exception to our European smorgasbord. The nation’s ecosystems hum with life’s abundance. It’s a place where
over 60 per cent of the natural landscape has been preserved.
Through TENT’s activities we support well proven conservation projects on the ground in critical wilderness areas, allowing communities and wildlife alike to thrive. Above all, we love connecting people to nature.
Join us in our mission, and support the restoration of nature.
Our Three Mantras
Protect Wildlife, Restore Ecosystems
We fund critical conservation work, supporting a network of pioneering, agile and impactful NGOs. Together, our partners form a collective of ambitious projects each restoring ecosystems for climate, biodiversity and people. We build long-term partnerships with proven conservation groups, enabling them to grow. We select projects with big visions – those rejuvenating natural processes at ‘landscape-scale’ to restore the ecosystems all life depends upon.
Connect People To Nature
We spotlight the value of wildlife and wilderness, helping people to build lasting connections with the nature that sustains us. We encourage ‘slow, soft, green’ travel, which tangibly benefits conservation – a critical part of transitioning economies through nature-based enterprises. Through education programmes, we facilitate impactful outdoor experiences to nurture the next generation of environmental stewards.
Create ‘Noise For Nature’
To raise awareness of environmental issues and the vital projects making a difference, TENT makes what we call ‘noise for nature’. To do this, we fund and co-produce documentary films; premieres are a valuable platform for awareness and fundraising for our partner projects. We facilitate media trips for journalists and storytellers to spend time in wild areas with conservationists and communities, encouraging a positive and informed media ecosystem.
“A true conservationist knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children.”
John James Audobon,
Ornithologist, naturalist & painter
Nature Is Our Greatest Ally – Time To Let It Flourish.
Our future depends on the restoration of ecosystems. Those that function naturally – where ecological processes play out at scale – are the most resilient to the impacts of climate change. They store the most carbon; prevent flooding; clean our air and water; and carry out the ‘provisioning services’ that sustain our economy and food systems.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of wild areas lies in their spiritual and cultural value, the sense of awareness, place, peace and belonging that only true nature can afford. Increasingly, we are realising that the health of the living environment is intrinsically connected to the health of our species, for we are inextricably a part of nature.
Our vision is one of coexistence: a European continent where wildlife and people alike thrive; where sustainable, nature-based economies benefit local communities in wild areas; where nature is cherished and respected, not feared or overexploited. We aim to preserve the wild areas that remain, and restore those that have been lost.
Our Ecosystem
We fund critical conservation work, supporting a network of pioneering, agile and impactful NGOs. Together, our partners form a collective of ambitious projects each restoring ecosystems for climate,biodiversity and people. We build long-term partnerships with proven conservation groups, enabling them to grow. We select projects with big visions – those rejuvenating natural processes at ‘landscape-scale’ to restore the ecosystems all life depends upon.
Our team
Jacob Dykes
General Manager
Jacob serves as the General Manager for The European Nature Trust. He is a dedicated conservationist, with experience spanning conservation philanthropy, nature finance, ecotourism and strategic grantmaking. Jacob oversees TENT’s strategic direction and grantmaking activities, ensuring TENT delivers optimal impact for the nature we cherish. A lifelong nature lover, he completed his Master’s degree in Biology at Durham University. He is passionate about protecting and restoring Europe’s last remaining wild areas, bringing his strategic lens to optimise and scale nature conservation and restoration projects.
Andrew Bennet
Ambassador – Spain
Andrew lives in Madrid, following many years of living in Barcelona. He is a former communications agency leader with an extensive international career. As TENT’s Country Manager for Spain, Andrew plays a pivotal role working on CSR (corporate social responsibility) partnerships whilst also organising media and press events throughout Spain. TENT supports a number of NGO’s in Spain with a focus on landscape protection and wildlife conservation.
“The support of The European Nature Trust over the last ten years has been invaluable, from financial contributions to key introductions, they have been long-standing supporters”
Christoph Promberger
Executive Director, Foundation Conservation Carpathia
Our Trustees
Paul Lister
After twenty years in the furniture business and the sudden ill health of his mentor and father Noel, Paul had a change of consciousness about his life, purpose and legacy. In 2000, he established The European Nature Trust with a focus on environmental and educational projects in Scotland and Romania. In 2003, he purchased Alladale Wilderness Reserve in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, which is now the focus of a pioneering re-wilding and ecotourism initiative. Paul is also a trustee of Foundation Conservation Carpathia. With Paul at the helm, TENT is expanding its remit and impact across Europe through travel, film and events. Never taking a day off, Paul’s unwavering mission is to connect both people and businesses to nature through an ever-increasing number of international environmental projects.
Toby Aykroyd
With a background in economics, business management and politics, Toby is the director of the Wild Europe foundation, trustee of The European Nature Trust. His CV in nature conservation is extensive: he is the Vice Chairman of the Wilderness Foundation, trustee of Foundation Conservation Carpathia and formerly, of Rewilding Britain as well as the Chairman of the BBC Wildlife Fund finance group. Toby navigates TENT’s conservation strategy, helping to seek and establish new projects, and maximise their impact.
Catherine Capon
Catherine Capon is a British naturalist and adventurer. Her mission is to promote ecotourism as a conservation tool and to re-engage people with the natural world. Prompted by her early fascination with the outdoors, Catherine went on to study Ecology and Zoology at Imperial College London. With TENT, Catherine seeks to promote our ‘Conscious Travel with Purpose’ philosophy, and aims to connect people with wild nature.
David Elton
David is an experienced marketeer in the hotel and travel business. He was a co-founder of the highly successful Pig Group, and has worked with the likes of Forte, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Starwood Hotels and Resorts. He is now the Director of The Lime Wood Group. David is passionate about conservation and rural regeneration; his experience with day-to-day business operations, management and tourism helps TENT to expand our network, and connect more audiences with nature restoration.
Alexandru Ene
Alexandru is a trustee of the Romanian Centre for Economic Policies. He has also worked for the World Bank, Bertelsmann Foundation, USAID and the European Commission amongst others, as well as acting as Counsellor to the Minister of Finance and an economic advisor to the Prime Minister of Romania. Alexandru is TENT’s primary strategist and liaison for Romanian conservation.
Benjamin Horne
Passionate advocate for rewilding, Ben Horne is the Founder of the Cove Valley rewilding project in Devon, a landscape-scale project seeking to invigorate biodiversity and human wellbeing. Ben’s Trusteeship at TENT helps guide and steer the charity’s grantmaking remit. Ben is convinced by the power of connecting to nature, and advocates strongly for curious people to experience wild wonders of our continent.
Our Ambassadors
Chris Morgan
Chris is an ecologist and award-winning conservationist, educator, TV host, film producer and podcaster. His shows have reached millions of people worldwide. TENT proudly supports Chris’ mission to inspire humans everywhere about wildlife. Having supported the production and distribution of many of Chris’ films, TENT now supports the production of ‘The WILD with Chris Morgan’ – an award winning podcast series, and an immersive audio experience like no other.
Hugh Fullerton Smith
Hugh Fullerton Smith is a long-term supporter of TENT. As a former director, Hugh helped to establish many of our conservation and restoration projects in Scotland, with a focus on the restoration of Alladale Wilderness Reserve, Scotland’s pioneering rewilding project, where he was General Manager from 2006-2013. Hugh is passionate about youth education, and now leads a number of initiatives focusing on environmental and sustainability education. A force of nature, Hugh has boundless energy for conservation and community development projects.
Ross Westgate
Ross is a financial broadcaster and businessman with a decorated career in journalism. Ross is also Co-Founder of Gleann Mor Natural Capital, formed to help put nature at the heart of our economy. An advisory and project management business, it helps scale up nature-based solutions working with Landowners/ Managers, NGO’s, Corporates and Investors as well as a broad range of Environmental Solution Providers. Gleann Mor is named after one of the 2 principle valleys at Alladale Wilderness Reserve and has been inspired by its work as well as that of The European Nature Trust, for which Ross has been an Ambassador and advisor since 2014.
Adrian Houston
Adrian Houston is a world-renowned photographer whose work has been exhibited in prestigious galleries such as The Nation Gallery and The Royal Academy of Arts. With a career spanning over two decades, his photographs have taken him on a global journey, capturing the beauty of nature. As an Ambassador for TENT, Adrian offers and advisory role while helping to raise awareness of the charity’s work.
Olivia Williams
Olivia Williams is an actor and passionate advocate for conservation. Appearing in the Netflix series The Crown and more recently Dune: Prophecy, such films as The Sixth Sense, The Father, Rushmore, The Escape and more, Olivia has lent her voice and expertise to many of TENT’s environmental documentaries. Having travelled to the Bolivian Cloud Forest to track spectacled bears, she came to understand the need for humans and wildlife to live together in Europe for a sustainable, beautiful future for nature.
Philippa Forrester
Philippa Forrester is a British television and radio presenter, producer and author. A passionate environmentalist, Philippa wrote the sensational Wild Woman book, which spotlighted the unsung, female heroes of conservation. She hosts the Conscious podcast, and has presented shows including CBBC, Tomorrow’s World, Crufts, The Heaven and Earth Show and Robot Wars. Philippa leverages her experience and passion to help TENT extend nature’s reach through impactful grantmaking, film and media projects.
Adam Weymouth
Adam Weymouth is an award-winning British writer, journalist, and filmmaker whose work explores the complex relationships between people, wildlife, and the landscapes they share. His latest book, Lone Wolf, follows the remarkable journey of a dispersing wolf across Europe, using the animal’s story to examine the return of wolves to human-dominated landscapes and the social, political, and ecological questions their recovery raises. His writing has appeared in publications including The Atlantic, The Guardian, Granta, and The New York Times, and is widely recognised for its depth and lyrical style. By combining meticulous research with compelling narrative, Adam invites readers to reconsider humanity’s relationship with large carnivores and the wild places they inhabit.
“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”
Rachel Carson
Environmentalist, author of Silent Spring
