1973 iucn yearbook

Sir Julian referred this letter for advice to Mr. E. M. Nicholson,
Director General of the British Nature Conservancy, who considered
that there was a case for a large-scale international effort
to raise really substantial funds, and discovered that Mr. Peter
Scott, a Vice-President of the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature, was already thinking along similar
lines.
On a visit to America in March 1961 Mr. Nicholson discussed
the urgent need for a professional effort to raise the money needed
in order to put the conservation movement on a proper footing
throughout the world, and later in that month at the York meeting
of the British Ornithologists' Union, Mr. Guy Mountfort, an
experienced businessman and an ornithologist with wide international
knowledge, agreed to give his assistance. A memorandum
was, therefore, prepared at Easter outlining a scheme which was
approved in principle later in April at a meeting of the Executive
Board of IUCN at its headquarters at Morges, Switzerland.
Immediately following this, in May 1961, a preparatory group
was formed in London under the chairmanship of Mr. Nicholson
which included among others Miss Phyllis Barclay-Smith, Colonel
C. L. Boyle, Mr. Aubrey Buxton, Lord Hurcomb, Sir Julian
Huxley, Mr. Guy Mountfort, Mr. Peter Scott, Mr. Victor Stolan,
Sir Landsborough Thomson, The Marquis of Willingdon and
Dr. E. Barton Worthington.
Its task was to examine the requirements and prepare the plans
for the establishment of a world fund-raising organization which
would work in collaboration with existing bodies to bring massive
financial support to the conservation movement on an international
scale. (In spite of Mr. Stolan's pertinent reference to "Victorian
procedure", it did not seem possible to "accumulate some millions
of pounds without mobilising commissions, committees, etc.".)
The name World Wildlife Fund was selected with the subsidiary
title "An International Foundation for Saving the World's Wildlife
and Wild Places". The Giant Panda (in a design by Mr. Peter
Scott from a sketch by Mr. Gerald Watterson) was adopted as
the symbol.
At this stage H.R.H. The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,
expressed interest and agreed to become President of the British
National Appeal. He also enlisted the support of H.R.H. The
Prince of the Netherlands, who agreed to become first Patron
and later President of the WWF (International).
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