“IT’S interesting how things come full circle,” said Greg Morel, recalling time spent during his childhood playing in St Ouen’s Bay and other areas of the Island that now form part of the Jersey National Park.
It was recently announced that Mr Morel has been appointed as the new chief executive of the park, which spans more than 2,000 hectares and is supported by planning policies designed to recognise and protect the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage within its boundaries.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity to give back and to be part of the team that’s going to help let future generations enjoy that as well,” he added.
The 53-year-old, who holds a bachelors degree in biological sciences and a masters in oceanography, has more than two decades of experience in environmental governance, marine resource management and government policy delivery.
His professional background spans both the private and public sector, including his previous role as the head of Marine Resources – after which he established his own environmental consultancy.
He said: “I hope both of those experiences over a number of years now will help feed into the work with the park, which is a lot about managing and looking after the natural environment but also how we engage, use and enjoy that space.”
Jersey National Park chairman Jim Hopley, MBE, has said that Mr Morel “joins us at a critical time, as the park develops its formal role, scales up delivery across our programmes and strengthens its position as it moves into its second decade”.
Mr Morel noted a longer-term drive to build governance, structure and “solidify the position of the park more”, but explained that his focus for this year falls into two main categories.
“We are starting to build on the already good knowledge that we have, build that knowledge base a little bit better and really work with other partners to improve the education and the offering for Islanders and for those visiting in terms of what the park is and the value of the park,” he said.
“The other area I think is really important for us is around making the park accessible to those who perhaps don’t often or can’t often access or visit those places for whatever reason – be it people are really busy, lifestyle, work commitments and pressures, but also there may be other barriers to accessing a site, be it around health or mobility.
“So we are trying to really build this momentum whereby the park is seen as a real asset for and by everyone in Jersey.”
He said the Jersey National Park committee would work with both government and third sector organisations, “be it through education, or health services, or charities, to offer opportunities for – not necessarily just young people – but in particular young people to access those sites”.
“We are going to look at how we can help with that. Is that around providing information about the site? Is it about just providing facilities and opportunities for people to do things in the countryside?
“There’s a piece of work there with our friends from the Natural Environment Department to improve the interpretation on site, so when people are there they can find information about what’s important, what’s exciting, what’s interesting.”
The park encompasses four offshore reefs and a series of headlands across approximately 30 miles of coastline, together with over 50 miles of cliff paths that provide significant access to wild space and sea views.
“It’s about providing the opportunity and the ability for people to spend time in that space,” Mr Morel continued.
“We are always under pressure nowadays to be on the go all the time and be locked in, plugged in and all the rest of it.
“What nature offers is really important, both from a physical perspective – if you are out walking or running in the Park – and also from a mental perspective as well.”
The park was initially established following a demonstration organised by The National Trust for Jersey in 2009 in response to growing concern about over-development of the Island, with the concept being endorsed by the States Assembly two years later.
Asked what he thought about potential friction between the park and Jersey’s development needs, Mr Morel said: “Planning is always a bit difficult, because everyone has a view on it.
“Jersey has an Island Plan, it has the planning law and structure and it’s really for planning officers and ministers to go through the process properly in terms of assessing any kind of development anywhere on the Island – be it within the park or outside.
“From a park perspective, it is important to remember that it is the nature, it is the wildlife, it is those natural spaces that are important and that should always be front and centre in how we go about using that space within our Island.”
“I’m not naive and I have to be realistic,” he continued. “But if we always bear in mind that, whenever we are making any decisions in terms of development, if you have at the front of your mind that it’s that natural space, it’s that environment, it’s those species that live there that need to sit pretty high up on the agenda of how you make those decisions.
“We will always need certain infrastructure, we will always need certain things – and indeed in terms of people accessing the Park, there will always be some need for some things there for people to be able to do that.
“But it needs to be done in a way that enhances all of those natural features and allows them to access those natural features rather than the other way around.”
There are 23 ecological sites and 18 geological sites of special scientific interest within the park, which also contains more than half of Jersey’s known Second World War sites among other areas of historical significance.
Commenting on the Park’s appeal to tourists, he said: “We do work with Visit Jersey on different bits and pieces and we have got a couple of other conversations coming up with them soon.
“There are many lovely reasons to come here, but one of them – lets admit it – is going to be our coastline, our beaches, our natural spaces.”
