The founder of the South Georgia Heritage Trust was Brigadier David Nicholls RM, a retired Royal Marine and former Commander of the British Forces in the Falkland Islands following the 1982 conflict.
Listen to David’s 1999 BBC Radio interview, where he talks about his past military experience and plans for his CBFFI (Commander British Forces Falkland Islands) role.
Listen to Interview >
David first encountered South Georgia through his passion for mountaineering, leading several expeditions to the island for gap year students. During these visits David realised that despite its prolific wildlife and extensive heritage, South Georgia had major conservation issues (including an infestation of rodents which was decimating the island’s wildlife) which Government funds alone could not tackle. In collaboration with the Government of South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands and his friend Elaine Shemilt, a fine print maker and Professor of Dundee University, a plan was created to set up a research centre within the University (initially Project Atlantis, now Centre for Remote Environments) and establish a charity to benefit South Georgia, based in Dundee (where David was based due to links RM Condor, the Royal Marine base near Arbroath). SGHT was established in August 2005 with an international and highly regarded Board of Trustees. Ms Neil, then working with NCR, the Dundee-based technology company, as a software team Project Manager, was recruited in 2006 to help David (then Chairman of Trustees and Executive Director) run the charity.
One month later, however, Brigadier Nicholls died of a heart attack, despite being only 57 and extremely fit and active.” It was a devastating blow” Ms Neil says. “We didn’t know whether the Trust could continue without David, he was such an inspirational character. But the exceptional Board of Trustees that David had assembled rallied round and together we decided to take forward this infant charity and continue David’s legacy”.
David had already set out what was to be SGHT’s major ambition for the next decade, to help remove invasive rodents from the island. A month after David’s death SGHT took over the management of South Georgia Museum, a pivotal moment which gave the charity a presence on island and the means to fundraise for conservation work. In September Howard Pearce, a former Governor of the Falkland Islands and Commissioner for South Georgia, was invited to Chair the Trust. Howard had liaised with David and another founding Trustee, philanthropist, explorer and owner/director of Ferring Pharmaceuticals Frederik Paulsen, in the establishment of SGHT and the plan for it to manage the Museum. Moreover he shared David’s ambitions for South Georgia.
In 2007 through the USA family foundation the Island Foundation, SGHT received its first substantial donation towards what was now being called the Habitat Restoration project. In 2009 a Habitat Restoration Steering Committee chaired by Professor Mike Richardson was formed and Professor Tony Martin was subsequently appointed as Project Director. With SGHT now running the Habitat Restoration initiative as well as fundraising for it, Frederik Paulsen made a major donation to allow SGHT to purchase two helicopters. Trustee Denise Landau established the Friends of South Georgia Island (FOSGI) in Colorado, USA, an independent non-profit organisation allowing US citizens to support South Georgia tax free and in 2011 the funds and logistics were finally in place to launch the first season of baiting work.
