98 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
public bodies, and by trying to establish a reputation for a reason-
able and imaginative approach to the problems of conservation.
A striking feature of the work of the various trusts is the great
diversity of their conservation activities, and in this respect I
recall the words of Mr. J. E. Lousley who, as Chairman of the
original Invitation Meeting for the setting up of the Essex
Naturalists' Trust, said: "This is to be an Essex Trust run by
Essex people to deal with Essex problems. Valuable as the exist-
ing models may be, you are not asked to take a ready-made suit
off the peg and wear it, but rather to have one carefully tailored
to fit local requirements".
This diversity of range and method of dealing with problems is
not locked up in local reports for, through the County Naturalists'
Trusts' Committee of the Society for the Promotion of Nature
Reserves (upon which every trust is represented) there is a forum
for the discussion of many matters of common concern—problems
of finance, administration, reserve acquisition and management,
and publicity, of relations with The Nature Conservancy, local
authorities and other bodies. Further, all reports, publications,
etc., of any Trust are distributed to all the other Trusts so that,
in one way and another, there is a constant exchange of ideas and
information.
This, then, is a brief survey of the nature conservation move-
ment, with particular reference to its story in Essex. It has
already been recounted how Essex naturalists have successfully
opposed several recent development proposals now that the Trust,
which grows more influential with every week that passes, repre-
sents and defends the interests of all the various bodies whose full
and active support it enjoys. In other words, the united front
which was so badly needed in this hard-pressed county of ours,
and which was so sadly lacking, has now been achieved by the
Trust's formation and its all-embracing activities. It indeed
behoves all Essex naturalists to give the Trust their fullest support.
This Club may rightly feel proud of the initiative it took in
the formation of the county's naturalists' trust, but let us not
forget the pioneer work of earlier workers in the field of nature
conservation.