Peterborough founder of Buglife awarded an MBE in King's Birthday Honours List

The Peterborough founder of nature conservation group Buglife has been awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List.

Alan Stubs, a resident of Peterborough and founder and vice-president of Buglife based in the Allia Business Centre in London Road, has been honoured for his services to nature conservation.

Mr Stubbs said: “It is not every day that an envelope arrives from the Cabinet Office, indeed marked ‘in strict confidence’.

"The MBE is for services to nature conservation: Vice President Buglife.

"It seems rather iniquitous that the award is made to one individual when the success of an organisation is dependent on the culture, energy and skills of everyone in Buglife: staff, trustees, volunteers and supporters.

“I wish the MBE to be regarded as an award to them all.

"My sincere thanks to all who have played a part, however small, in helping Buglife to become such a firmly established and respected NGO for invertebrate conservation.”

A spokesman for Buglife said: “It is appropriate that at a time when Westminster is finally hearing evidence on the catastrophic decline of insects that there is recognition for the only organisation in Europe that prioritizes all of the small things upon whom life as we know it depends.

“Alan has been a stalwart for bug conservation since the 1970’s, as well as an authoritative author and expert particularly on flies having written guides to British Hoverflies and to British Soldierflies.”

Alan started his career in geological conservation in 1962, he became Deputy Head of Geology and Physiography at Nature Conservancy.

In 1975, he joined the newly formed Chief Scientists Team of the Nature Conservancy Council to develop the first invertebrate conservation policy for Britain.

Following early retirement, in the mid 1990s Butterfly Conservation was in its infancy as regards staffing, and being on their Conservation Committee he was asked go to a meeting of six NGOs at RSPB Sandy.

It lead to the Invertebrate Conservation Trust being registered in 2000.

The office opened in February 2002 taking on a first employee Matt Shardlow and soon becoming Buglife.

Alan spent many years as a trustee and period as Chairman, before stepping down to be a volunteer and Vice President.