Les Barnett obituary: The Yorkshire conservationist who helped changed the public attitudes in Bradford
Les Barnett, who has died at 88, was a founder member of Bradford Urban Wildlife Group in 1987, alongside Howard Cleveland, and played a key role in monitoring planning applications to ensure due concern for the natural environment.
Among his group’s triumphs was the decision to construct the Bingley Relief Road on reinforced stilts, avoiding the town’s ancient South Bog, a nationally-designated site of special scientific interest.
The group was also involved in the opening of Bradford’s first local nature reserve at Railway Terrace, Low Moor, and the nearby local beauty spot, Toad Holes Beck, as well as Boar’s Well Urban Wildlife Reserve in the city centre.
More recently, it worked with Bradford Peregrine Group to monitor peregrine falcons nesting on the district’s mills and buildings.
“The whole attitude of the public has changed since we began,” he recalled in 2013.
“When I first made it known that I was keen on wildlife and natural history, people were not really interested, but now people come up and tell me if they’ve seen wild animals or unusual plants.”
Mr Barnett, who lived in Esholt, lectured in botany and wild flowers at Shipley College and fronted walks for the Workers’ Educational Association.
He was also a founder member of Bradford Botany Group, back in 1983.