GONHS 50: The growth of a natural history society (part two)

2026 is an important year for the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society – GONHS – as it celebrates 50 years as a vital part of this community.

As Alice’s Table returns to the story of the society, we remind ourselves it all started when a handful of young Grammar School students began to show interest in the natural world with a curiosity in birds – they were birders. The original members included: Dr Ernest Garcia, Professor Clive Finlayson, Charlie Perez, Professor John Cortes, and the late Mario Mosquera. They formed the Gibraltar Ornithological Society – and they are still active birders today.

GONHS, as we learnt last week, is a natural history and conservation, membership-based NGO which 50 years later it continues to work across all the biological world: plant and animal, vertebrate and invertebrate, terrestrial and marine life.Its current General Secretary Dr Keith Bensusan is clear about its aims in 2026 - to conserve Gibraltar’s biodiversity and natural environment, foster research into local wildlife, and educate the public and official bodies in all these areas.

The expansion of its work and expertise began to take shape when people with wider interests such as botany joined the society and it eventually became the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society continuing to grow in its work and stature in this community to become the recognised NGO it is today.

Over the years as the role and scope of the organisation evolved over time it gained representation in such bodies as the Development and Planning Commission (they were the first to do so locally), and over the last five decades it has kept a watchful eye on developments that was felt could threaten Gibraltar’s natural assets.“A lot of the work, since its inception, has been to catalogue and monitor Gibraltar’s wildlife.

As the organisation grew, and environmental issues in Gibraltar became more prominent and acute, GONHS increasingly became a campaigning organisation as well, fighting for the conservation of our wildlife,” Dr Keith Bensusan explains.Keith further points out that an important part of their work today is campaigning on conservation and wider environmental issues.

“We firmly believe that we’ve been instrumental in bringing Gibraltar’s biodiversity to the fore, educating the public on its importance and indeed shaping policy in land management and urban planning in Gibraltar,” he says.

Dr Ernest Garcia, who first led the group of youngsters 50 years ago, emphasises how GONHS has played a key part in making the Gibraltar community aware of the wider environment and of its importance to us all.“Tangible results that come to mind include the decisions to use valuable land to construct the Commonwealth and Campion Parks, the legislation providing for nesting sites for Swifts in new buildings and the clean-up Gibraltar events involving multiple organisations,” Ernest points out.

His message to all GONHS members on this 50th anniversary is to “Keep up the excellent work. Gibraltar needs you”.Charlie Perez who has worked behind the scenes, leading on projects throughout its history is well aware of the work and major role the society continues to play “working on nature related subjects and fostering participation with numerous outings, throughout the year, both locally and in the surrounding region.”

GONHS, Charlie points out, participates annually in the Europe-wide weekend known as EuroBirdwatch. Held during the first weekend of October, this is always supported by locals.

For its membership, GONHS leads outings locally and in nearby Spain, where they “highlight the best wildlife in what this privileged part of the world has to offer”.The organisation also produces high-quality publications.

The Gibraltar Bird Report published online and records bird sightings throughout the year. This report is edited by Dr Ernest Garcia. A small editorial team puts together Gibraltar Nature News, a colourful magazine highlighting nature from Gibraltar and beyond.

A special 50th anniversary edition is due at the end of this year.

Charlie highlights that wildlife knows no borders and conservation is a transboundary issue. Keith raises the changes at the time of the opening of the border in 1982.

“GONHS wasted no time in fostering important relationships with conservationists in nearby Spain. More formally, GONHS is a partner of BirdLife International and a member organisation of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), among other international organisations. These links are important to all organisations involved, because many campaigns are international and there is strength in partnerships.

This is particularly the case nowadays, when perhaps unexpectedly, environmental policy finds itself under assault throughout much of the world,” Keith emphasises.Charlie believes Gibraltar has been “the prominent ornithological site in the region” for over a century now. He highlights the publications dedicated to it beginning with the first one published by Lt. Col. Irby and his book ‘The Ornithology of the Strait Wood Warbler.Researching beetles Charlie Perez and Keith Bensusan of Gibraltar’ in 1875.

This was followed by Willoughby Verner’s ‘My life among the Wild Birds in Spain’ in 1909. Stenhouse ‘Bird notes from Southern Spain’ came next in 1921. And it is true that this newspaper has also carried many inches of copy over the years including Tuke with a compilation of his Gibraltar Chronicle articles in ‘An introduction to the birds of Southern Spain and Gibraltar’ first published in 1953.

He adds: “Since then several publications have included articles in the Gibraltar Chronicle by Ernest Garcia, numerous books with the ‘Birds of Gibraltar’ by John Cortes, in 1980, ‘Birds of the Strait of Gibraltar’ by Clive Finlayson in 1992, ‘The Birds of the Iberian Peninsula’ in 2015, by Juana and Garcia.”

This, and all the work carried out over the last 50 years, he says has undoubtedly ensured awareness of the natural environment and help to make the community keep focused on developing without prejudicing the natural environment. But just as important, Charlie adds, is that GONHS has also done a great deal to promote Gibraltar internationally.

“Gibraltar would be very different today were it not for GONHS.”Professor Clive Finlayson, the first chair of GONHS, today Director of the Gibraltar Museum, acknowledges that GONHS still has an important role to perform in 2026.“It has a social function, to increase awareness of our increasingly impoverished world and to aim to protect it.”

Clive says it makes him proud, that GONHS today is a household name in this community. In a society so long established he believes it is also important to learn to let others take over and run with it.

“I am always happy to support and advise if asked but would not expect, nor wish, to be the one who hangs around for ever cramping the style of the new generations. My message to the present membership is to not see the natural world from the outside. If every time you see a bird, or click a photo, you think you are looking at a picture, then you have misunderstood the message. This is more than just a hobby. You have to immerse yourself into this world, which is our world. We are not outsiders. Our health and that of all living beings depends on ourselves. We something that was important to him and that he felt we are the first organism ever to control the fate of millions of organisms. We will only make a change with empathy towards all the other living beings that share the planet with us – I hope the idea that animals are there to serve us is long gone, but I suspect not entirely. The ancients knew all this – they were the greatest naturalists that have ever lived. We need to relearn all this and birds are a good starting point.”

Former Secretary General Professor John Cortes, today’s Gibraltar Environment Minister, believes GONHS has been vital for the increase in knowledge of our natural environment and for ensuring nature and the environment are important to the community as a whole. John recognises that GONHS gave him the opportunity to learn to campaign and fight for something that was important to him and that he felt was important to the community.

“It gave me knowledge and understanding of the world around us, and of the importance and value of things which transcend pure economic value. It prepared me for my current career, and gave me the experience and the confidence to work hard for principles in which I believe.”

As he looks to the future and the next 50 years of GONHS, his message is that its members carry on doing what they have been doing so successfully for the past five decades and to pursue the relentless defence of Nature.

He says: “Continue with your research, promote conservation, hold Governments to account, and enjoy our amazing biodiversity, much of which is still there thanks to you. Work with all stakeholders, including partner NGOs and Government, to enhance our biodiversity so that in future it is even richer than it is today, and to enjoy it! And as Minister, I thank them on behalf of HMGoG for the work of the past 50 years, and I acknowledge that Gibraltar is a better place to live in thanks to their expertise and their commitment.”

The last word I leave to the current General Secretary Dr. Keith Bensusan who points out that the endurance of the organisation and its support by the membership and the Gibraltar public demonstrate the importance of Gibraltar’s natural heritage.

Keith believes this is also an important juncture for GONHS, in terms of membership. As with so many organisations globally, GONHS saw a downturn in membership a few years ago. He acknowledges this was probably due to new technology turning people away from the outdoors. But in 2026 its membership has recently begun to increase again.

He believes this is possibly due to technology too and where digital photography has provided people with a novel way to discover birds and other wildlife.“This gives us renewed strength to continue with our core aims, which remain as they ever were: to ensure Gibraltar’s biodiversity is protected and enjoyed by its people,” he concludes.

Events continue to be held until the end of the year. A commemorative coin minted, and a set of stamps issued. And as already mentioned a special issue of Gibraltar Nature News due soon.

Last week I began this Alice’s Table series in celebration of the 50 years of GONHS by asking - Can the Gibraltar community imagine itself without GONHS – the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society? The answer in my view is of course, NO. And as for the future – here’s to the next 50 years.

Next Week: Photographers and their interest in nature leads to a great collaboration.