PHOTO: TOM MARSHALL
My Peak Dis trict Sarah Fowler
Caring for the environment and connecting people to it are close to Sarah Fowler’s heart – both professionally and personally – as Fiona Stubbs discovers. Sarah Fowler is the chief executive of the Peak District National Park Authority.
E
ver since I was a child, I’ve loved being outdoors. I was born in Zambia as my father was working abroad, helping to set up pharmacies across the developing world. When I was three, we moved back to the UK. As a young girl I’d often go out exploring the countryside with my two brothers and sister – I always enjoyed being out on my bike. And I was drawn to nature from a young age. My first experience of the Peak District was a family holiday several years before I came here for work. We were camping and my best memory was cycling on the Tissington Trail. The kids were tiny at the time, learning to ride their bikes. We stopped in Tissington and had a lovely cup of coffee and ice cream. It’s a simple, but very special memory. I believe that, as people, we are innately
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www.peakdistrict.gov.uk
drawn to nature. Three things drive me – a compassion for the planet we live on, compassion for the people we share it with and the connection that exists between the two. We are more compassionate, connected and courageous people when we can connect with a resilient and healthy environment. What drew me to my role at the Peak District National Park was the opportunity to connect people to the environment – working in a pioneering organisation for an extraordinary landscape. By helping people to connect with inspiring places, hopefully they can be inspired to care for them. When I first arrived in this job, I drove around the National Park boundary to get an idea of the scale of the Peak District. We’re close to millions of people in the surrounding towns and cities where life is so busy but, as you enter the National Park, there’s a real
sense of beauty and tranquillity – and a connection to nature. It’s so important to create opportunities for nature to thrive and people to get that connection and experience of our best landscapes, that sense of everyday life slowing for a moment, allowing us all to pause. The thing I’ve missed most over the last year of working from home, due to Covid-19 restrictions, is the ability to get around and see the National Park and the people who care for it. I love that every turn brings a different view and that every person has their own reason for loving the Peak District National Park. The Peak District’s contrasting landscapes are what makes it different to other national parks. It’s not just somewhere I work but somewhere I enjoy with family and friends. I’ve always loved cycling on the Tissington, Monsal and High Peak trails with my two kids – especially when they were younger. I also
