Durrell's conservation crusade

Lee Durrell believes the darwinian theory of natural selection

Lee Durrell's conservation work is well documented through books, television series and radio programmes.

She is the honorary director of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, which was originally begun by her late husband Gerald Durrell.

As a young girl she had an affinity for the natural world, which stretched well beyond scientific anthropomorphism.

Dr Durrell believes that human beings have a moral responsibility to protect the planet for future generations.

Her interest in the relationship between humans and animals can be traced back to an upsetting childhood incident.

"When I was very young I was given a little chick for Easter. I stepped on the poor little thing on Sunday morning before we were going off to Sunday school and I killed it.

"Of course, I was completely distressed over the thing but our Sunday school teacher said it will be alright in heaven.

Durrell has been recognised for its work with tortoises

"That was great, it sort of mitigated everything. Then at bible class in school the next week the teacher is told me that animals don't go to heaven.

"I was horrified and shocked. I think really at that point you could say that my affinity for animals was such that even though we did share the world and we didn't have dominion over everything.

"I asked how could it be possibly true that animals, our fellow creatures would not also be in heaven with us?" Lee said.

Dr Durrell believes that conservationists understand that humans are not the dominant species.

"Today, what we see happening is that our single species is gravely altering the planet. It is just not right for it to happen, it will make people suffer and make animals suffer, but it is also quite wrong for it to happen," she said.

Dr Durrell is a subscriber to the Darwinian theory of natural selection and sees a grand system at work in nature.

"It is the most marvellous system that could ever be imagined and that is the Darwinian selection. The evolution of living things by natural selection.

"We see great beauty in such things and a great plan in design and many people see design as the basis of the argument from design. I reckon it is just natural selection at work and that is fantastic," she said.

13th century scholar Thomas Aquinas put forward the argument from design

Dr Durrell's hopes her conservation work will change the way people look at the world.

"I hope I am not only out to halt the bad behaviour of human beings, but to try to persuade or teach or inform the human beings of the right way to look at the planet.

"Will it turn the tide? Maybe not in my lifetime. We have watched the last millennium and what happened to the world and what people did to each other. We all know the effects of that now and we need to turn ourselves around," said Dr Durrell.