A Royal Celebration to Honour the Legacy of Gerald Durrell

2025 is a landmark year. It marks what would have been the 100th birthday of the founder of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Gerald Durrell, a man whose passion and vision transformed the way the world thinks about wildlife conservation. It is also the year the Trust concludes its Rewild Our World strategy – a bold commitment to creating lasting change for threatened species and the wild places they call home.

This year, the charity will be hosting its annual Durrell Lecture, Wild Tales: Celebrating Gerald Durrell’s vision, legacy and impact today, at the Jersey Opera House on Tuesday 4th November 2025.

Commenting on the event, Durrell CEO, Rebecca Brewer said, “Our 2025 Durrell Lecture is set to be a truly inspirational evening. We are delighted to welcome our Patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, to speak at this momentous event. HRH attended the lecture which launched this strategy back in 2017, so it is rather fitting to have her be there for its close.

“We hope our members and supporters will join us for this wonderful event as we honour a century of Gerry and celebrate the extraordinary conservation impact of the international charity he founded.”

The evening will feature the Trust’s Honorary Director, Dr Lee Durrell, in conversation with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, a multi-award-winning writer and broadcaster renowned for his commitment to sustainable, ethical food and environmental causes. Together they will discuss why Gerald’s extraordinary vision is still relevant today and how his pioneering approach will continue to guide the organisation for the next 100 years.

Guests will also hear from Dr Mike Hudson, Director of Conservation Knowledge at Durrell, who will share ‘stories of change’, demonstrating the meaningful difference the Trust’s Rewild our World strategy has made to species, people and places since 2017 and how they will build on this into the future.

The Lecture is the last of the GD100 celebrations being held by Durrell this year. More information on the Lecture, including how to attend can be found on the Durrell website.