RETURNING TO THE WILD
Helen reconnects with nature during a chat with the National Trust’s Heather McLachlan
Amedia inter view with a director of a national organisation usually means being allocated a narrow window of time to get the job done swiftly and then depar t. So I had questions prepared, I’d double checked my recording kit and as it was a chilly February morning my pockets were stuf fed with extra batteries because the cold saps the life out of them.
Waiting in the National Trust’s car park at Murlough National Nature Reser ve, County Down, I felt the hint of ner ves that lingers even with many years of experience.
A car rolled up and Heather McLachlan, the most senior figure in the National Trust in Nor thern Ireland, called out a cheer y “Hello” and “Never worr y about your parking ticket, Helen, I’ll sor t that.” Then out she stepped, casually dressed, trim and full of energy saying, “Shall we go for a walk?” And off we headed through the vast sand dunes between us and the Irish Sea, chatting for much longer than I had imagined.
The reason for meeting was to talk about the current work of the Trust, from family focused activities like 50 things to do before you’re 11¾! to plans to reduce the organisation’s carbon footprint. But Heather has such an easy way about her that we mulled over all sor ts of things including how she came to be in her current role.
“I did a business studies degree, worked in the duty-free retail and then voluntar y sectors. After my father passed away in 1999, a huge loss to me as he was so inspiring in my life, I took a trip that would be a career and life changing experience. It was working in, of all places, a tur tle sanctuar y in Sri Lanka!
“My interest in nature was sparked not just in helping the tur tles return to the wild but in seeing how the whole community in the area benefits. I wondered if I could do something like this back home in Nor thern Ireland…. not the tur tle bit, obviously!”
Returning home to County Down, Heather, a mum of two, secured a role with the Ulster Wildlife Trust and later as a director in the National Trust.
“When I took on this job I ver y much admired the work of the Trust, the preservation of historic houses and landscapes, but what made me feel it was right for me was the growing focus they had on managing those places ver y much with nature, environment and communities in mind.”
She and I share a great love of landscape and nature and relish it being par t of our jobs. I commented that 20 or so years ago when making landscape and nature programmes on radio and TV,
“In a way, I’m doing what my father wanted to do years ago”
men dominated the conser vation world so much that we were hard pushed to find female contributors. Thankfully we’ve both seen that change over time.
And I wondered, with a por tfolio that includes ever ything from the Giant’s Causeway and world renowned gardens to numerous schemes to improve our environment and connect people to nature, what she might bring to the role as a woman.
“Well, I don’t want to fall into gender stereotypes but, amongst other things, having empathy, being able to
nur ture and encourage, be suppor tive so people can give of their best, that’s how I tr y to operate. And again, not to pin that only on women, but they are skills we will have honed through our lives, especially in motherhood, and they are valuable assets at ever y level of the workplace.”
Returning from the dunes the Mountains of Mourne loomed in the distance. “I love walking in the Mournes, I feel my body and mind restored by that direct connection with nature. My father worked in the social care sector and he also wanted people to feel the benefits of walking up in the Belfast Hills and Divis Mountain, but it was too hard then as this countr y was enduring troubled times. Divis is now managed by the Trust, so in a way I’m doing what he wanted to do.”
Heather’s commitment to her work runs deep and it almost goes without saying that I came away with a cracking radio inter view.