A force of nature

who’s about

A force of nature

who’s about

As Clare Matterson CBE says goodbye to the National History Museum, where she has been the Executive Director of Engagement for the past four years, we manage to track her down before she starts as the newly appointed Director General of the RHS, the UK’s largest gardening charity.

When not rubbing shoulders with dinosaurs and blue whales, Clare will usually be found gardening or turning over the veggie patch at her farmhouse in Campsea Ashe, where she lives with her husband Todd and their twins, Louis and Lily. Clare grew up in south London but lived close enough to Wimbledon Common to satisfy her curiosity for nature and went on to graduate from Oxford with a degree in Zoology. Prior to working at the Natural History Museum, Clare was with the Wellcome Trust, one of the world’s largest charitable foundations focused on health research. During her sixteen years as Director of Culture and Society and two as Director of Strategy, she led many initiatives, co-founding the Wellcome Collection, establishing the UK’s National Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Learning Centre and initiating ‘Our Planet, Our Health’.

“This was the era of huge medical development, with scientists making great advances sequencing the human genome, creating new vaccines and doing novel research using stem cells. At the Wellcome Trust, part of my role was to ensure that the public not only understood these advances, but also the science behind them. We opened

who’s about

the dialogue around these societal issues to make sure the public had a voice and that there was also a platform for their concerns.” Moving to the Natural History Museum in 2018 was a dream job for Clare as it allowed her to reconnect with her love of nature and to try and make a difference to the huge issues affecting our environment. “We are currently facing a planetary emergency, but there is hope, and I believe science, research and innovation hold the keys to unlocking this, but we need to act now.”

As Executive Director of Engagement, Clare oversaw the delivery of several new strategies and was also responsible for exciting new initiatives including a new exhibition, ‘‘Our Broken Planet: how we got there and ways to fix it’, and the hugely popular ‘Dippy on Tour’ campaign. Dippy was gifted to the Museum in 1905, quickly becoming an icon and capturing the hearts and imagination of thousands of school children. By taking Dippy on tour, Clare recognised the power it had to inspire millions of people around the UK. “Dippy’s mission was to encourage families to get outside and explore the wildlife on their doorstep. It was a way to remind us of the joy to be had from our local landscape and to reignite our desire to protect it.”

In May, Clare will turn her attention to her new role as Director General of the RHS. “The RHS is an organisation that matters and can make a real difference to the world. Gardens have such a huge role to play in shaping a more positive future. It is in our gardens that we find answers for people and planet, for community, for inclusion and

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for wellbeing.” A keen gardener herself, and never happier than digging up her early potatoes or raiding the polytunnel for ripe tomatoes, Clare has always believed that gardening is an excellent way of connecting with nature. The RHS has been at the forefront of this belief for nearly 200 years and whether you have a large rural garden, are part of an urban community project, or only have a small window box, all of us can reap the benefits of getting out and getting our hands dirty.

Clare is also involved on the ground in Suffolk, and is part of ‘Wild about Campsea’, a small group of wildlife enthusiasts keen to encourage Campsea Ashe to become more wildlife friendly and is on the board of trustees at the First Light Festival. “The combination of art and science can be very powerful and having the Natural History Museum come to Lowestoft as part of the festival is just wonderful. Seeing the kids so engaged with science is brilliant, and this year we hope to have more hands-on activities and interactive displays.”

Clare’s drive, passion and commitment to making our future safer and stronger for people and planet is inspiring, and it is no wonder she was awarded a CBE for services to public engagement in science. We wish her every success in her new role and look forward to seeing her swap her gardening gloves for a hat at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.

www.rhs.org.uk First Light Festival 18th-19th June www.firstlight.lowestoft.com