He was privileged to be appointed as the first conservationist for the Thames catchment in 1984 and went on to become the national Head of Conservation of the Environment Agency in the UK for 15 years, before taking “early retirement” from public service in 2016 and almost immediately immersing himself in a new challenge at the forefront of rewilding in the UK.
Since then he has been thoroughly enjoying the challenge of mainstreaming rewilding as a crucially important part of the solution to nature recovery in Britain.
In his “spare time”, Alastair has had the privilege of visiting over 50 countries around the world for public speaking, advisory and exploration purposes and he has been hugely inspired by the many conservation success stories he has encountered in the process.
He is therefore delighted to become an Ambassador for Journeys with Purpose and he is particularly excited by the prospect of visiting rewilding sites around the world with like-minded individuals passionate about the large-scale restoration of nature.
This extraordinary wetland, the largest in Argentina, is home to 30% of the biodiversity in the country including endangered species such as the pampas and marsh deer, the maned wolf and grassland birds like the strange-tailed tyrant.
In 2005, what was to become one of the largest rewilding programs in the Americas was started, with the goal of restoring keystone species that had been extirpated from Iberá through hunting and habitat loss and were extinct in the region, the Province or, in some cases, the country.
As the rewilding program developed, the cultural identity of Iberá began to recover alongside the ecosystems and natural processes, impacting a total population of 100,000 people who surround the park.
Today, Iberá stands as one of the world’s most successful ongoing conservation missions.
Exclusive access to the world’s top snow leopard trackers combined with an intimate photography masterclass by distinguished photographer, filmmaker and conservationist, Mattias Klum.
3rd – 14th December, 2025
