Meet the people behind Plantlife
Meet the people behind Plantlife. We are passionate about raising awareness of the importance of plants and fungi and inspiring people to take action.
Our Patron, His Majesty King Charles III
King Charles III became Plantlife’s patron in 1999 when he was HRH Prince of Wales, and his devotion and passion for championing conservation and defending nature has had a galvanising impact on our work.
Meet our President and Vice-President
Philip Mould OBE – President
Philip’s love for conservation began as a child when he developed a keen interest in wild plants. This enthusiasm has continued to grow throughout his life. Philip became President of Plantlife in 2010 and a Fellow of the Linnaean Society two years later.
Away from conservation, Philip is an expert on British portrait painting and spent 20 years as art adviser to the Houses of Parliament. He is an experienced communicator and has written art-related books. These include ‘Sleuth: The Amazing Quest for Lost Art Treasures’ and ‘Sleepers: In Search of Lost Old Masters’. Philip is also a respected broadcaster who regularly writes for the national press.
As well as running a West End art gallery, Philip often appears on ‘The Antiques Roadshow’. He also writes and presents the Channel 4 series ‘Changing Faces’, and co-presents a prime time art discovery programme on BBC1 called ‘Fake or Fortune?’
Rachel de Thame – Vice-President
Rachel is a familiar face on the small screen who is well-known for her appearances on ‘Gardener’s World’. She also co-hosts major RHS gardening shows such as the Chelsea Flower Show, Malvern Flower Show, Hampton Court Flower Show and BBC Gardeners World Live.
An experienced broadcaster, Rachel has fronted two series of her own – ‘Gardening with the Experts’ and ‘Small Town Gardens’. She also regularly travels the UK to film ITV’s ‘Countrywise’.
On the airwaves, Rachel has appeared on ‘A Good Read’ and ‘Great Lives’, and as a guest on ‘Essential Classics’ and ‘Woman’s Hour’. She also inspires the listeners of many BBC local radio stations by regularly sharing her expertise during their gardening slots.
Elsewhere, Rachel has written ‘Small Town Gardener’ and ‘Rachel de Thame’s Top 100 Star Plants’. She co-authored ‘Gardening with the Experts’ and contributed to ‘Moving on Up’. Rachel also writes a regular column for the ‘Sunday Times’.
Say Hello to our Ambassador
We are thrilled to introduce our Ambassador Leif Bersweden who will sharing his passion for wild plants and championing our work.
Nicola Hutchinson – Chief Executive
Nicola has over 20 years’ experience at Plantlife, including as Director of Conservation and Interim Chief Executive. With expertise in ecology, environmental management, species recovery and biodiversity policy, she brings strategic leadership, sector advocacy and a strong commitment to restoring wild plants and fungi across the UK and globally.
Meet our Trustees
Meet our Senior Management Team
