A new boss for Christian conservation charity A Rocha has been chosen, following the death of Chris Naylor last October.
A Rocha International has announced the appointment of Dr Simon Stuart as executive director, who will leave his current position at conservation charity Synchronicity Earth in December.
Dr Stuart has a strong Christian faith, has been a trustee of A Rocha twice, has worked on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's 'Red List of Threatened Species' and has chaired their Species Survival Commission. He was recently announced as one of two winners of this year's Blue Planet Prize for those who have contributed significantly to improving the global environment.
The former executive director of A Rocha International Chris Naylor was in a car accident last October in South Africa alongside his wife Susanna and A Rocha's founders Peter and Miranda Harris. Only Peter and the person driving them survived.
The charity says it is "grateful to God for providing such an outstanding person to lead A Rocha into a new chapter and to help us rebuild after a difficult and traumatic time."
Dr Stuart said he had grown to love the charity over many years, commenting: "The A Rocha family is in many ways groundbreaking as it brings together practical conservation action with Christian faith. We are facing an unprecedented ecological crisis, and it is imperative that Christians are at the forefront of the fight to save and recover nature."
He will remain chair of the Amphibian Survival Alliance and the Asian Species Action Partnership. He'll also still be a member of the board of Fondation Segré. Dr Stuart will also remain active with Synchronicity Earth, becoming chief scientific advisor.