Jill Bowling Schlaepfer

Jill Bowling Schlaepfer (died in 2006) "Jill, aged 49, held dual Swiss and Australian nationality and was Director of Conservation for WWF-UK. WWF-UK is a member of the WWF network which works in over one hundred countries. Jill led the work of WWF-UK to support conservation programmes around the world and also within the UK tackling global threats such as climate change through business and government advocacy strategies.

"Jill joined WWF in 2002 as Deputy for the Global Forestry Programme at WWF International in Gland, Switzerland and subsequently transferred to WWF-UK to start her role as Director of Conservation.

"Educated in Australia, Jill received a First Class Honours degree in Zoology in 1981 and received her PhD from the Australian National University (ANU) in 1985. Jill went on to work for the Australian Government in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (1985-89) where amongst writing Prime Minister’s speeches, parliamentary questions and background papers she co-authored the Prime Minister’s Environment Statement - the first document to contain all national level policy on environmental issues.

"From 1989 to 1997, Jill worked for the State Department of Forestry in Oregon, USA where she was responsible for the oversight of the 400,000 hectares of state-owned forests. Appointed Director in 1992, Jill negotiated the first Habitat Conservation Plan (under the Federal Endangered Species Act) on state-owned lands in the US. Whilst working for the Forestry Department, Jill researched and wrote thirteen pieces of legislation to create more value-added timber production; help timber dependent communities and workers; and encourage better management by non-industrial forest owners.

"From 1997 to 2002, Jill was the Director of the International Federation of Building and Woodworkers, Switzerland, where she set up a Global Forestry Programme. This programme promoted sustainable development and focused on forest certification, international labour standards and community development/forest restoration projects. Whilst holding this position, in addition, Jill was Director of the Global Women and Child Labour Programme which oversaw all global programmes including child labour schools and gender training.

"Jill’s professional goals were the quality of our environment and social equity. She always did her job with enthusiasm and engagement. Jill’s father Keith lives in Sydney and her brother Mark is a well-known Australian journalist in Darwin. She was a wonderful wife to her husband the Swiss forestry academic Professor Rodolphe Schlaepfer. Her family home was in Gland, Switzerland with a work base in Godalming in the UK. "

Jill was a trustee of the Alliance of Religions and Conservation.

Related Sourcewatch

 * Jem Bendell