Harry Barton

Chief Executive

Harry Barton was Chief Executive of Devon Wildlife Trust from 2011 to 2023.  During that time the organisation oversaw the first legal release of beavers into the wild in England, acquired 20 nature reserves and led a number of successful campaigns, including for better protection of marine wildlife.  Prior to that he has held positions as Chief Executive of the Earth Trust and senior roles in Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and CPRE.  In the 1990s Harry worked at Kew Gardens, where he was closely involved with a wide range of botanical projects, including the Millennium Seed Bank.  He was a participant on a plant collecting trip to New Guinea, one of the most diverse and least studies floristic regions on the planet.

Harry has a particular passion for landscape scale conservation, and at the turn of the millennium he led a multi-partner project mapping opportunities for nature restoration at scale across the South West of England.  He is a trustee of the charity Rewilding Britain and chair of the Dartmoor Nature Alliance, an organisation pushing for more effective wildlife protection in the National Park.  He is a strong believer in evidence based wildlife conservation, and has worked closely with partners at the University of Exeter, University of Plymouth, the Metoffice and elsewhere.  He is also a firm advocate of actively engaging people from a greater diversity of backgrounds and abilities in their local green space.

Outside the natural environment, Harry’s interests include writing, running, cycling, sea swimming, classical piano and karate.  With his wife Alison, he is involved with local organisations supporting refugees and adults with disabilities. He lives in Devon.