Stuart Housden OBE - Head of Lobbying
Stuart Housden is an eminent conservationist and lobbyist offering enormous insight, knowledge and experience to the RESTORE Nature team.
He couples in-depth knowledge with a continued drive and enthusiasm to protect and restore the natural world that he clearly cherishes.
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Image credit Alex Lintott
Stuart had a long career with the RSPB, working on government Affairs, campaigns, policy development and advocacy to the UK Parliament and the European Commission. He worked on the EU Birds, Habitats and Environmental Assessment Directives, the CAP and Biodiversity policy. He led a team of over 40 policy specialists.
In 1994 he was appointed to the UK Board, and moved to Edinburgh to lead RSPB Scotland’s work pursuing large scale ecological restoration and building partnerships with land managers and communities. He was appointed to numerous Scottish Government stakeholder groups working on farming, forestry and rural policy.
He was made an OBE for services to conservation, and made an Honorary Fellow of SRUC for services to agriculture and conservation. He retired in 2017.
He is currently a member of the Scottish Country Committee of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, chairs the Board of the Scottish Seabird Centre, and is a Trustee of the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Trust supporting habitat restoration in Rio State, and a Trustee of the Highlands and Islands Environment Forum.