The R&A (formerly the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews) is one of the leading governance and outreach bodies for the sport of golf.  Based in St Andrews, the home of golf, the R&A is committed to improving the accessibility, appeal, and inclusive nature of the sport.  In particular, the R&A is striving to attract more people from all backgrounds to benefit from the physical, mental, and social benefits of golf.  This is being achieved by investing not only in The Open, but also in developing and supporting amateur talent, such as through the new Golf It! facility in Lethamhill, Glasgow, and collaborations with partners such as EDGA, who are offering accommodated golf training for increased learner accessibility.  As one of the aims of Next Gen Nature is to increase the inclusivity of modern conservation skills and ideas through accessible resources and capacity building, the R&A’s sponsorship is greatly appreciated as we endeavour to make our world a more equitable place.

 Other core pillars of the R&A’s playbook are sustainability, health, heritage, and talent.  With the goal of revitalising ecologies, landscapes, and ecosystems so that they can thrive in the face of our changing planet, sustainability is an obvious shared value between the R&A and Next Gen Nature.  In particular, as the R&A is leading research into evidence-based best practices for navigating the biodiversity value, natural resource use, and climate impact of golf, it is hoped that with the R&A’s support, Next Gen Nature can also share methodologies and tools to improve our understanding and management of nature.  In doing so, we should consequently be able to see both healthier wildlife and healthier communities, as we are better equipped to look after our environment and its natural resources.  Looking after our wildlife and landscapes therefore also encompasses the preservation of our heritage, as the nature which characterises many of our communities today is so often shared with those from generations past. To ensure the protection of this heritage, however, it is critical that everyone has access to the skills and education required to feel empowered in taking conservation action, whether this be quantitative skills, such as data handling, or socio-cultural barriers, such as gender equity.  Just as the R&A is invested in developing talented players into champions, so too will Next Gen Nature endeavour to provide accessible resources which our conservation champions can use to continue empowering themselves in the field and conservation community.