Guest blog from RSPB's new president: Miranda Krestovnikoff

Miranda Krestovnikoff was voted in as the RSPB's new President at today's AGM (a great day and I'll offer more reflections on Monday).   For those of you that were not able to be there and see/hear her in action today, we thought it would be a good idea for her to share - via a guest blog - her commitment and enthusiam for her new role.  If you tune in to Woman's Hour on Monday, you'll be able to hear more - alternatively visit her website @ www.mirandak.co.uk.  She's going to be a great figurehead and leader for the RSPB.  On behalf of members and staff, I'd like to say welcome, congratulations and good luck!

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I can’t tell you how proud I am to be introducing myself as your new President. It’s a huge honour and I’m really looking forward to getting involved with what the RSPB does at grassroots level and learning even more about nature through my involvement with your charity.

I’m a mum of two, and my family have been members of the RSPB for some time – we visit reserves and the children excitedly open their magazines each quarter. We spend loads of time in our garden creating homes for wildlife – we have a pond, loads of feeders, nestboxes, woodpiles and old carpet cuttings housing my favourite garden species – the much underrated slow worm!

I will openly admit that I’m not a birder, but I love nothing more than watching birds from my window. At the moment, we have a resident sparrowhawk who likes to sit on the feeder, just a few metres from our back door, and a lone coot on the pond who seems rather pleased to have the place to himself!

My involvement with the RSPB feels completely timely and relevant because you’re opening up your focus even more to giving all nature a home. I think with nature you can’t isolate a particular species or a particular group of animals; everything is interconnected. We all know that. Birds are a great hook to get people involved with nature, because you can see birds anywhere. But if a habitat is right for birds, it will no doubt host all kinds of other flora, fauna and creatures too. What are the birds feeding on? Where are they feeding? What’s feeding on them? How does it all fit into the wider world?

A few people have asked me what I hope to achieve as RSPB President and whilst that’s difficult to answer exactly at the moment, I do know which issues I’m particularly keen to add my voice to, and hopefully I can help reach an even wider audience. I’m a keen diver, and one of a very lucky bunch of people that gets to see wildlife above and below the waves. Marine conservation is a huge interest of mine.

I’m a big advocate of UK wildlife – I think we need to celebrate what we have on our doorstep. It always amazes me how few people realise we have gems like whales, dolphin and sharks off our shores. If I can get more people excited about our own, resident species, I’ll be happy!

Like many other people, I’m really worried about the amount of time young people spend indoors. I know how excited my children get when they climb a tree, make a den in the garden, pick up a stone and see woodlice underneath it, or watch as a dragonfly emerges and flies across the pond. They learn, they’re being stimulated and it’s touching their senses. They’re teaching themselves about nature as well, by  observing and learning, and every child should have that opportunity as a matter of course, not just as a ‘treat.’ And they teach me too!

I’m very excited about my new role and I can’t wait to hear from and see as many of you as possible in the coming months.