Charles Rothschild,conservationist

Although the present-day Anglo-Jewish community has been slow to address environmental issues, Charles Rothschild, an early twentieth-century banker and entomologist, made substantial contributions to nature conservation. Being deeply concerned that human activities threatened the extinction of many species of plants, insects, birds and animals, Rothschild founded three nature reserves and introduced environmental management on his own estate in Northamptonshire. He was also the prime mover behind the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves (founded 1912), which became the principal organization for preserving sites of scientific interest and was the forerunner of the Wildlife Trusts. Rothschild steered the Society during its first four years, but was forced to accept a more passive role following his mental breakdown in 1916. The final section of the paper addresses the question whether Rothschild’s Jewish heritage influenced his work as a conservationist.