Tony Juniper: From Bird Conservation to Natural England
The environmentalist, author and conservation leader has spent decades working on wildlife, climate policy and nature recovery across Britain and beyond.
Introduction
Tony Juniper is a British environmentalist, conservationist and author who currently serves as Chair of Natural England. His career started with birds. It later moved into major environmental campaigns, public policy, writing and conservation leadership.
His work stretches back decades.
Before Natural England, he held senior roles at Friends of the Earth and WWF-UK. He also advised the then Prince of Wales on environmental issues and became a Fellow at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
Right now, his main public role is clear. He leads Natural England’s board as its chair, with his current term running until 22 April 2027.
Quick Facts About Tony Juniper
| Quick Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full professional name | Dr Tony Juniper CBE |
| Profession | Environmentalist, conservationist and author |
| Current role | Chair of Natural England |
| First appointed to Natural England | 2019 |
| Current term | 23 April 2025 to 22 April 2027 |
| University | University of Bristol |
| Degree | BSc in Psychology and Zoology |
| Graduation year | 1983 |
| Early profession | Ornithologist |
| Former organisation | Friends of the Earth |
| Former senior role | Executive Director of Friends of the Earth |
| Academic role | Fellow at Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership |
| Charity role | Chair of Trustees at Cool Earth |
| Honour | CBE for services to conservation |
| Recent book | Just Earth: How a Fairer World Will Save the Planet |
Who Is Tony Juniper?
Tony Juniper has worked in environmental conservation for around four decades.
His career mixes science, campaigning, writing and public leadership. That mix explains why his name appears across quite different organisations.
He started as an ornithologist. Then came environmental campaigning.
Friends of the Earth became a major part of his working life. He joined the organisation in 1990 and later became its Executive Director.
Years later, he moved into other environmental roles, including work with WWF-UK and the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts.
Then came Natural England.
Juniper became its chair in April 2019. The UK government confirmed his third term in March 2025, keeping him in the post from 23 April 2025 until 22 April 2027. The government said this would make him the longest-serving chair of Natural England.
Tony Juniper’s Early Interest in Nature
His connection with wildlife started young.
Tony grew up in Oxford and spent much of his childhood watching birds and other animals. The University of Bristol says he kept several kinds of birds, including budgies, cockatiels, lovebirds, quails and finches.
Basically, birds were already a big interest.
That interest helped guide his university choice. He studied Psychology and Zoology at the University of Bristol, a combination linked to his interest in animal behaviour.
He graduated in 1983.
After university, he spent time working in conservation education and studied for a master’s degree in conservation at University College London.
That gave him a clear path.
Wildlife came first.
His Early Career as an Ornithologist
Juniper’s professional environmental career started with birds.
He worked for BirdLife International as a professional ornithologist. His work included parrot conservation and efforts aimed at stopping threatened species from disappearing.
This was specialist work.
His knowledge of parrots also moved into publishing. In 1988, he co-published Parrots: A Guide to the Parrots of the World, according to the University of Bristol.
His interest in rare parrots later led to another book, Spix’s Macaw: The Race to Save the World’s Rarest Bird.
So before the national campaigns and public appointments, there was hands-on species conservation.
That part matters.
More Than Two Decades Around Friends of the Earth
A major career change came in 1990.
Juniper joined Friends of the Earth, initially working on its tropical rainforest campaign. He later worked on biodiversity, transport and wider environmental policy.
His responsibilities grew.
By 1998, he had become Policy and Campaigns Director. In 2003, he became Executive Director.
He remained Executive Director until 2008. GOV.UK also records him as Vice Chair of Friends of the Earth International during that period of his career.
His time at the organisation covered major public debates around wildlife protection, recycling, transport and climate policy.
One campaign linked closely with his leadership was The Big Ask, launched by Friends of the Earth in 2005. It campaigned for UK climate legislation.
The UK’s Climate Change Act became law in 2008.
The University of Bristol’s account of Juniper’s career credits him with a major role in Friends of the Earth’s campaign around that legislation.
Work After Friends of the Earth
Juniper left Friends of the Earth in 2008, but environmental work stayed at the centre of his career.
He worked as an independent sustainability and environmental adviser.
One of those positions was as a Special Advisor to the Prince of Wales’s International Sustainability Unit. He continued independent advisory work until January 2018, according to his official government profile.
He also held senior positions with major conservation organisations.
Before moving to Natural England, he was Executive Director for Advocacy and Campaigns at WWF-UK and President of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts.
That made his career broader.
He had started with bird conservation, spent years campaigning, worked in advisory positions, and then moved into national environmental leadership.
Tony Juniper and Natural England
Tony Juniper became Chair of Natural England on 23 April 2019.
Natural England is the government’s statutory adviser for the natural environment in England. Its work covers nature conservation, landscapes and the management of the natural environment.
His first appointment was followed by another term.
Then, on 24 March 2025, the government announced that he had been appointed for a third term.
That third term started on 23 April 2025 and is scheduled to finish on 22 April 2027.
As of September 2026, he remains in the role.
His position involves leading the organisation’s board and helping make sure Natural England carries out its responsibilities.
Recent areas discussed during his chairmanship include nature recovery projects, National Nature Reserves, species restoration and ways of handling development alongside environmental protection.
Other Current Environmental Roles
Natural England is not Juniper’s only public role.
The Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership currently lists him as a Fellow and a contributor to its executive education work.
He also serves as Chair of Trustees at Cool Earth, an organisation working with people living in rainforest areas.
Cool Earth announced that he would become its chair from 1 February 2023, and its current board page continues to list him as Chair of Trustees.
Natural England’s 2026 register of board interests also lists him as a member of the Council of Trustees of Fauna & Flora International and as an Environmental Ambassador for Fields in Trust. It lists him as a director and employee of TonyJuniper.com Limited too.
So, yes, his work is spread across several parts of conservation.
Tony Juniper as an Author
Writing has been another steady part of his career.
He has written about wildlife, economics, climate change and the relationship between people and nature.
One of his best-known books is What Has Nature Ever Done for Us?, published in 2013. His official government profile describes it as a multi-award-winning bestseller.
He also co-wrote Harmony with the then Prince of Wales and Ian Skelly.
Another collaboration came with the climate title Climate Change, written with the then Prince of Wales and climate scientist Emily Shuckburgh.
His more recent work includes Just Earth: How a Fairer World Will Save the Planet.
Bloomsbury published the UK hardback edition on 13 March 2025. The book draws on Juniper’s long career in research, campaigning and environmental advocacy while discussing the relationship between environmental problems and economic and social fairness.
Awards and Recognition
Juniper’s environmental work has received formal recognition.
In 2009, he became the first recipient of the Charles and Miriam Rothschild Medal, according to his GOV.UK profile.
The University of Bristol awarded him an honorary Doctor of Science degree in 2013. Plymouth University also awarded him an honorary Doctor of Science degree that year.
A major national honour followed.
In 2017, Tony Juniper was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, or CBE, for services to conservation.
The Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership also records that he received the CIEEM Medal in 2023.
Tony Juniper’s Personal Life
Juniper has kept much of his personal life away from the main focus of his public career.
Still, one part is documented by the University of Bristol.
Its 2013 profile says he met Sue Sparkes on their first day at Bristol. The university described her as his future wife and said the pair had been together since 1985.
The same 2013 university account named their children as Nye, Sam and Maddie.
Those details come from an official university profile published in 2013, so they should be read in that historical context.
Why Tony Juniper Is Known
For many readers, the simple answer is this: Tony Juniper has spent most of his working life dealing with environmental issues.
But the jobs have changed.
He began with specialist bird conservation. Then he worked on major public campaigns.
After that came advisory work, books, charity leadership and senior conservation positions.
Now he chairs Natural England.
Actually, that career path helps explain his public profile better than a single job title does. His work has crossed research, campaigns, government-linked conservation work and environmental communication.
What Is Tony Juniper Doing Now?
As of September 2026, Tony Juniper remains Chair of Natural England.
His current appointment lasts until 22 April 2027.
He is also listed as a Fellow at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and Chair of Trustees at Cool Earth.
His recent writing remains part of his public work too, with Just Earth adding another environmental title to a long list of books.
Final Thought
Tony Juniper’s career did not begin in a boardroom.
It began with wildlife.
Bird conservation led to campaigning. Campaigning led to wider environmental policy work, teaching, advising and public leadership.
Decades later, he now chairs one of England’s main nature bodies.
That gives his career a clear thread. The organisations changed. The subject largely did not.
Nature stayed central.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Tony Juniper?
Tony Juniper is a British environmentalist, conservationist and author. He currently serves as Chair of Natural England.
What does Tony Juniper do now?
As of September 2026, he chairs Natural England. His current term is scheduled to run until 22 April 2027.
When did Tony Juniper join Natural England?
He took up the role of Chair of Natural England on 23 April 2019.
What did Tony Juniper study?
He studied Psychology and Zoology at the University of Bristol, graduating with a BSc in 1983. He later studied conservation at University College London.
Did Tony Juniper work for Friends of the Earth?
Yes. He joined Friends of the Earth in 1990 and later became its Executive Director, serving in that position from 2003 to 2008.
Did Tony Juniper work for WWF?
Yes. Before joining Natural England, he was Executive Director for Advocacy and Campaigns at WWF-UK.
What books has Tony Juniper written?
His books include What Has Nature Ever Done for Us?, Spix’s Macaw, Rainforest and Just Earth: How a Fairer World Will Save the Planet. He has also co-written environmental books with the then Prince of Wales.
Why does Tony Juniper have CBE after his name?
He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2017 for services to conservation.
