Will Harford-Fox officially took over the role from previous incumbent Dave Bartram yesterday, having volunteered with the herd for a lengthy period. He said it had been a goal of his to get involved in local conservation projects in Guernsey since moving to the island two years ago with his wife, Ladies’ College principal Danielle Harford-Fox. ‘I was involved in nature conservation projects in the UK so had experience, and when I joined La Societe over here I got a leaflet in my membership pack about the herd,’ he said.
‘I knew that Dave had been wanting to step back since February so thought it would be a good opportunity, and in the end it all came together quite quickly.’ While the official handover has only just happened, Mr Harford-Fox said he had been getting to grips with his new role for a number of weeks, and had been surprised at the sheer amount of work required in order to keep things running smoothly. ‘We’ve got more species-rich grassland in Guernsey than I thought, learning about different areas of the island and how the herd can have a positive impact on biodiversity through grazing has been interesting,’ he said.
‘There’s so much going on behind the scenes that I didn’t necessarily know about.’ Among the imminent challenges Mr Harford-Fox faces is integrating two new calves into the eight-strong herd, with the herd’s two youngest members set to join them this weekend in one of La Societe’s Bridget Ozanne Orchid Fields along Les Vi.