In Memoriam Peter van Bree

Former Secretary/Treasurer Dr Peter van Bree passed away on 24 february 2011 in Amsterdam. We have lost a passionate conservationist and a remarkable personality who has played an important role in the nature conservation movement in the Netherlands. Peter was one of the initiators of the establishment of the IUCN members contact, the early version of the IUCN Committee in 1977. He has been an active member of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of IUCN and the SSC Steering Committee until 1994. He was the successor of Jan Westermann as Secretary of the Van Tienhoven Foundation and the Netherlands Commission for International Nature Conservation. He was instrumental in supporting a large number of conservation projects on the ground and inspired many young individuals to follow the path of conservation. During his professional life, Peter was curator of mammals in the Zoological Museum of the University of Amsterdam until his retirement in 1992. He has received several awards for his contributions to science and international nature conservation. He was appointed as Officer of Oranje Nassau and Officer of the Golden Ark. His death marks the ending of an era. His passion and personality has inspired us and many others to carry on his ideas and perseverance. We will miss him profoundly.

The Board of the Van Tienhoven Foundation

History of the Van Tienhoven Foundation for International Nature Protection

On 19 November 1930, Pieter Gerbrand van Tienhoven founded the 'Stichting tot Internationale Natuurbescherming' (Foundation for International Nature Protection), to promote balance in nature, by protecting threatened flora and fauna and the conservation of geologically important areas. During the first years of its existence, the Foundation was not very active. Van Tienhoven, Chairman, ran the Foundation more or less on his own. Only after his death in 1953, the board officially met for the first time. Simultaneously, the Commission and Foundation (see: Van Tienhoven and International Nature Conservation) slowly drifted apart. The Foundation engaged in financing conservation projects. During the 1950's the Commission concentrated on legislation, nature reserves and trade in endangered species in Dutch New Guinea, Surinam and the Netherlands Antilles. These activities were financed by the Foundation. In 1962, the Commission together with the 'Vereniging tot Behoud van Natuurmonumenten in Nederland' founded the 'Natuur Noodfonds Nederland', in 1966 renamed 'Wereld Natuur Fonds Nederland' (World Wildlife Fund Netherlands) following the foundation of the World Wildlife Fund one year earlier (later renamed World Wide Fund for Nature,WWF). The Foundation for International Nature Protection financed the 'Natuur Noodfonds Nederland' during its first year.

In the 1960's and 70's, Dr. J. H. Westermann (1907-1981) was the driving force behind the Commission and the Foundation, first as Secretary and later as Chairman. His influential role in the international conservation movement was greatly acknowledged and he became board member of a large number of international conservation organisations. Around 1975, the 'International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources' (I.U.C.N.) stimulated greater involvement of its regional members. The Commission took the initiative and established a national I.U.C.N. committee uniting all Dutch members. This committee later obtained legal status and became a separate foundation. Shortly after, the Commission promoted ecological thinking to foreign aid programmes. A subcommittee, led by botanist Dr. M. Jacobs and politician Jhr. M. van der Goes van Naters, managed to have these ideas implemented by the Dutch government. In the 1980's the Commission rapidly lost ground. The old generation retired and the young people felt less involved with conservation and the traditions of the Commission. For them nature conservation was no longer considered a challenge. Subsequently, the Foundation for International Nature Protection, since the 1960's also called the 'Van Tienhoven Stichting' (Van Tienhoven Foundation) strengthened its position. The Van Tienhoven Foundation acts as the legal body of the 'Nederlandse Commissie voor Internationale Natuurbescherming' and publishes the 'Mededelingen of the Nederlandse Commissie voor Internationale Natuurbescherming' (see Publications). From 1978 till 1997, Dr P.J.H. van Bree, initially as Secretary and from 1983 onwards also as Treasurer, was one of the driving force behind the revival of the Van Tienhoven Stichting.

Archives of the Van Tienhoven Foundation/Stichting tot Internationale Natuurbescherming and the Nederlandse Commissie voor Internationale Natuurbescherming can be obtained at https://stadsarchief.amsterdam.nl/archieven/archiefbank/inventaris/1283.nl.html.