CLIMATE CHANGE WILDLIFE & HABITATS FRESH WATER OCEANS & COASTS REGISTERED AS CONSERVATION EDUCATION & RESEARCH TRUST REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Company number: 4373313 2017 Charity number: 1094467 01 CONSERVATION EDUCATION & RESEARCH TRUST REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2017 CONTENTS REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2017 Trustees’ Annual Report Welcome 3 Mission and vision 4 Objectives and achievements 5 Financial review 15 Administration and governance 22 Independent auditor’s report 27 Consolidated statement of financial activities 31 Balance sheets 32 Consolidated statement of cash flows 33 Notes to the financial statements 34 Thank you to our supporters 50 02 CONSERVATION EDUCATION & RESEARCH TRUST REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2017 WELCOME REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2017 The work of Earthwatch – empowering people to save the natural world – has never been more important in light of the unprecedented environmental challenges before us. Our global network of Earthwatchers is inspiring research in the Seychelles and Into the Night in the and driving positive change through individual and UK which looked into the consequences of artificial collective action. light at night on humans and wildlife. By working together to tackle environmental Our partnerships with global businesses have challenges, Earthwatchers continue to deliver a more inspired employees to be activists for change sustainable future through hands-on action whilst locally, nationally and globally. We have helped Shell also creating knowledge through relevant science employees volunteer on environmental research and that informs environmental policy. conservation projects – sharing their knowledge and building their skillsets in some of the world’s most We are proud of this vibrant community of diverse biodiverse regions. Our work with HSBC continues individuals, which includes families, young people, to help embed sustainability principles at the heart teachers, scientists and business employees. The of the bank and we were delighted to formally extend actions they have taken in their homes, workplaces our partnership in 2017 for a further three years. and local environment – along with their contributions to critical scientific research – have combined to We would like to thank everyone who has partnered deliver positive change around the world. with us this year – together our actions can help protect and restore the natural world. Enabling people to gather much-needed data about environmental trends is at the heart of our approach. This year, through a range of exciting projects including Capturing Our Coast and Earthworm Watch we increased opportunities for people to help protect our marine and urban wildlife. We also expanded our schools programme, Discover Earth, to engage the next generation with the great outdoors and the importance of science. Encouraging the next generation to discover wildlife and develop an interest in their local environment has been a key achievement this year. Our support of emerging scientists from many different countries has helped them to establish their Steve Gray Lucian J. Hudson career paths and plan for the future. Scientists have Chief Executive, Chair, worked on a number of projects including coral reef Earthwatch Europe Earthwatch Europe 03 CONSERVATION EDUCATION & RESEARCH TRUST REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2017 MISSION AND VISION Our purpose Our values We empower people to save our natural world Inclusive through rigorous and relevant science that We believe it is essential that people participate addresses key environmental issues and through in solving the environmental challenges we face. engaging experiences that inform, connect and inspire. This enables us to deliver solutions by Objective influencing policy and through hands-on action. Independent research is at the core of our work, and its outcomes determine our goals Our mission and priorities. Passionate Our mission is to engage people worldwide in We are passionate about the opportunity we have scientific field research and education to promote to make a meaningful impact on people and the the understanding and action necessary for a natural world. sustainable environment. Empowering We seek to inspire people, organisations and Our vision communities with experiences, knowledge and tools that enable them to take action. We envision a world in which we live within our means and in balance with nature. We believe that Responsible future decisions regarding the environment must We act in a manner that respects and protects be based on objective science and must engage the well-being of people and the environment, and empower people and organisations to act including our staff, researchers, volunteers and responsibly if they are to be sustainable. the places we work. How we benefit the public We create knowledge and inspire action through hands-on science and environmental engagement. We address big challenges – such as climate change, loss of wildlife and habitats, provision of fresh water and ocean health – by working together with individuals, communities and organisations. CLIMATE WILDLIFE FRESH OCEANS CHANGE & HABITATS WATER & COASTS 04 CONSERVATION EDUCATION & RESEARCH TRUST REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2017 OBJECTIVES AND ACHIEVEMENTS This is the second year of our three-year strategy which began in 2016, the aim of which is to broaden our beneficiaries and to focus on increasing our impact as an organisation on those beneficiaries and, by extension, on the environment. Our strategic priorities to deliver on this aim are: • Create hands-on activities for individuals to take local actions that have a global impact and deliver science that matters. • Work in partnership with global companies to help transform how they think and do business, enabling them to integrate sustainability into their organisations. • Develop skills in young people through a range of immersive education programmes for teachers and students. • Help scientists develop their careers and close the gap between scientific discovery and action, and enable them to actively engage with people, communities and business. STRATEGIC 2017 2017 2018 PRIORITIES OBJECTIVE KEY STATS PRIORITIES LAUNCH THE URBAN INCREASE EMPOWERING OVER 2,500 SIGN WILDLIFE PROJECT PARTICIPATION IN PEOPLE UPS TO PROJECTS IN AT LEAST OUR PROJECTS TWO COUNTIES REFINE OUR 600 EMPLOYEES ENABLING CREATE NEW HSBC APPROACH TO LEARNT ABOUT SCIENTISTS PARTNERSHIP PARTNERSHIP SUSTAINABILITY DEVELOPMENT DELIVER TEACH EXPAND TEACH AND 1,000 CHILDREN ENGAGING EARTH AND DISCOVER EARTH & DOING HANDS-ON BUSINESSES DISCOVER EARTH DEVELOP SECONDARY SCIENCE ACROSS UK SCHOOL APPROACH CREATE 100 EMERGING DEVELOP NEW INSPIRING THE PARTNERSHIPS SCIENTISTS PROGRAMME FOR NEXT GENERATION TO DEVELOP SUPPORTED YOUNG SCIENTISTS NEW PROJECTS 05 CONSERVATION EDUCATION & RESEARCH TRUST REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2017 “Hugh is a great example of our fantastic Capturing Our Coast volunteers. He loves getting out and discovering more about the world.” Hannah Grist, Capturing Our Coast Project Offi cer, Scottish EMPOWERING Association of Marine Sciences PEOPLE SPEND: £802K 2017 HIGHLIGHTS WHAT DO WE WANT TO ACHIEVE? EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES We will empower people to save the natural Across the UK, members of the public have world through rigorous and relevant science that been carrying out important research to addresses key environmental issues. We will provide better understand the relationships between engaging experiences that inform, connect and earthworms and the key benefi ts they provide: inspire behavioural change. This enables us to soil productivity, fl ood mitigation and carbon deliver solutions by infl uencing policy and through storage. Earthworm Watch is a unique citizen hands-on action. science project development by Earthwatch and the Natural History Museum. WHAT HAVE WE BEEN DOING? During 2017, earthworm watchers spent a We raised awareness of environmental issues combined 1,150 hours counting earthworms and through a variety of channels, helping keep the big categorising soils, recording an impressive 3,368 challenges we are addressing front of mind with our earthworms and contributing to an improved audiences. Our experts ran interactive events and national spread of records. held speaking engagements around the UK. A key fi nding of the project has been that, on Public projects including Capturing Our Coast and average, 50% more earthworms were found in Earthworm Watch provided opportunities for people areas containing organic fertiliser than those to help protect our urban and marine wildlife by without, regardless of habitat, but crucially contributing to scientifi c research. this effect was not found with the use of artifi cial fertilisers. One of the aims of this project has been to map the abundance of earthworms across different soil types and offer simple methods and advice that could improve soil health and better support earthworm populations. Earthworm Watch will continue to gather meaningful data across a range of environmental conditions. Radio interviews about our education work reached over 34 million listeners 06 CONSERVATION EDUCATION & RESEARCH TRUST REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2017 EMPOWERING PEOPLE INVOLVING PEOPLE IN INSPIRING SCIENCE THAT MATTERS BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE In 2017, a further 917