Today is Mark Avery’s last day at the RSPB – and I hope you will join me in wishing him all the very best for the future.

He’ll be a hard act to follow – he has that enviable ability to take complex arguments, and summarise them in a way that brings clarity and makes a conclusion suddenly obvious.

Here's Mark holding his audience at an event to celebrate his 25 years at the RSPB

As a scientist who can bestraddle (there’s a word I haven’t used for a while) the worlds of policy and communications – he’s a rare bird indeed and we’ll miss him.

Hard acts to follow bring the best out of people, and I’m certain that in Martin Harper we have the best of people to take up the challenge as Conservation Director.

At the launch of our new (and biggest) campaign, Stepping Up for Nature, I took this picture just on the off chance I could use it to illustrate the changing of the guard.

If you haven’t caught up with Mark’s blog – there’s still time and I’m sure I’ve heard (once or twice) that there’s a book of the blog.  And if you want to follow Mark’s peregrinations – you can, here.

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  • Marks time with the RSPB will not be forgotten by the communities here on the North Kent Marshes. We would like to thank him for all his hard work and join you in wishing him all the very best for the future.

    Friends of the North Kent Marshes

    Conservation and Communities United