ALANA HURD
'WORLD WILD EXPERT'
ME, MYSELF & I
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I think that our planet is structured to be a 'Planetary Paradise'. That's what my life & professional goals are about: enabling this planetary paradise.
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I think that if we are honest with ourselves (recognising that every one of us, no matter our species, is a ‘planetary/wild’ creature and that we are all born equal & fundamentally free) and coexist honestly with one another, then our only possible actions are to thrive together. In doing so, we enable our whole planet to thrive.
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'Our Planet (Our Paradise)' is my life's overarching focus & main 'bigger picture' drive: enabling a 'Planetary Paradise'.
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I have 24 years of experience in human and animal welfare & during the last 8 years I’ve been specialising in what I think of as overall ‘planetary well being.’
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I specialise on the topic of our human place within our planet: focusing on enabling honest relationships with ourselves (as human beings) and a new honest relationship with our planet - as a whole - as well as, of course, all other planetary creatures, enabling us all to thrive together.​
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I am the author of the booklet/presentation, 'Our Planetary Paradise' and the book, 'Our Planet - A Love Story'. I am also running my first set of 'Wild Events' during 2024.
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It is under OP(OP) that 'Home Habitats Worldwide' has been founded (HHW is currently fundraising to purchase its first space). Home Habitats Worldwide is, in a nutshell, a structure that invites investment into land & property in the UK, for the well being of humans & other creatures here, in such a way that 'forever income' is also generated to fund homes for vulnerable humans (and space/habitat for local wildlife/plantlife & more) in other parts of the world too.
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I have 3 smaller non profit organisations (read on to find out about them). I think of them all as the actual templates/representations within our world of a Planetary Paradise that is already coming INTO existence...
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All of my organisations revolve around our planetary home AND the Home/Habitat we all require AND the helping hand/paw/wing/fin/leaf/petal etc from one another to enable us to fully thrive to our maximum, just as we are all born to.
They are ALL a celebration of our planetary unity & community and ALL that we have in common and a celebration of the wild perfection of ALL of us and especially our COMMON right to thrive (all of us deserving of our best chances to thrive, enabled by ourselves AND one another).
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'Wildscaping Worldwide' is the organisation under which all of my ‘wildscaping work’ operates. I have also founded these ‘wildlife emergency service organisations’: UK Wildlife Transporters & the Wildlife Care Badge.
Ideally, I hope to play my part in manifesting a wild world where these 2 ‘wildlife emergency service organisations’ will only be required on a very small scale, in rare emergencies. Until then, I intend for them to stand up for wildlife rights in the UK for as long and as much as they are required.​
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I am the author of the ‘Wildscaping Our World’ Handbook.
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I am an award winning ‘Wildscaping Designer’: drawing up wild designs for council land and church land (to name a couple of WW projects) to help humans and all wildlife to share the spaces. Both the council and church in question won eco & environmental awards for implementing our designs.
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I am a ‘Wildscaping Consultant’ (for public officials, land owners & property owners).
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Under the umbrella of WW (and as a very personal mission) one of my most challenging, most fulfilling efforts during 2020/21 was being able to step in and help 24 animals (a llama, pigs and birds) to be spared from a meat auction and instead be safely secured & transported to sanctuary for a new life, as free, loved individuals. This was done with the help of Advocates For Animals Solicitors. This may seem a different mission to standing up for wildlife rights but in fact, I think that it’s just another wild effort (I call it a ‘wild effort’ as we are all ‘wild creatures’ and we all deserve to live, free from commercial exploitation) here: https://www.wildscapingworldwide.com/post/lives-saved
[UKWT is very much a 'work in progress'. - It relies on the national agreement of Wildlife Rescues across the UK that we are all - whatever our species, whether we are human or hedgehog - deserving of the right to at least a minimum standard of emergency care, when we are injured/poorly. If the Wildlife Care Badge (below) succeeds - or, indeed, another version of it succeeds - then UKWT can run off a subsequent national map of proven, high welfare Wildlife Rescues, to ensure that every wildlife casualty & orphan in the UK gets the help that they deserve, to thrive again. Right now, UKWT is working off a small version of this map, developed by the WCB - as the WCB establishes itself and hopefully continues to grow.]
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During Spring/Summer 2020, as I was officially launching WW, I also volunteered with an online wildlife support service (advising members of the public - who had found wildlife casualties/orphans - on which were their closest Wildlife Rescues). It was immediately apparent that up to 30% of wildlife casualties/orphans were dying just because they couldn’t get to medical care in time or at all, due to lack of transport opportunities…
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I launched UK Wildlife Transporters in August 2020, to offer a service to those members of the public who had found wildlife casualties but who had no transport of their own: they would call us and a UKWT Volunteer Driver would pick up the casualty, to transport to a Vet/Wildlife Rescue.
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I was lucky enough to be able to call on the experience and advice of large rescues (running teams of Drivers) and animal ambulance services on how to get set up and then I upgraded further after a few months to commission our own extensive legal policy - drafted by Advocates For Animals - on our own animal welfare standards as well as purchasing Vet recommended carriers for all of our Drivers to use for every transport.
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From August 2020 to June 2022 we transported almost 600 wildlife casualties/orphans to emergency medical care & assisted in securing rescue space for up to another 2000. In June 2022 demand had grown so much that we have now massively upgraded our model to better meet the demand and we are in the process of fundraising to start to fill in the transport gap across every inch of the UK (hopefully by 2028). You can check out our new set up and vision on the website, www.UKWildlifeTransporters.org, if you would like.
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In May 2023 I officially and temporarily closed UKWT while we fundraised for our first wave of staff. We are still raising the money but I have managed to reopen and operate in a very small way - providing transport support to Wildlife Rescues & Vet Practices - while I grow the Planetary Prize Giving Game, to ultimately provide reliable, monthly funding for our UKWT staffing costs from 2025 onwards.
[The WCB is very much a 'work in progress' too, just like UKWT. - It is not in my power to enable its full success/failure, I am just doing all that I can - and working as hard as I can - to best enable its success... I can only invite those in the Wildlife Rescue Industry to take advantage of the opportunity that the WCB presents, to self regulate wildlife rescue (or, indeed, for those who have not been involved in the development of the WCB to come up with their own version instead, if they would prefer). The WCB relies on the national agreement of Wildlife Rescues across the UK that we are all - whatever our species, whether we are human or hedgehog - deserving of the right to at least a minimum standard of emergency care, when we are injured/poorly. It is then up to everyone to decide to unite & collaborate to ensure that every Wildlife Rehabber in the UK is in a position to provide at least this minimum standard of care, to the wildlife that they take in.]
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When I launched UKWT, I had no idea that wildlife rehabilitation wasn’t regulated in any way in England, Wales & Northern Ireland. It was through running UKWT that I first got a proper ‘overview’ of wildlife rehabilitation in the UK, connecting with up to 100 Wildlife Rescues nationwide during 2020/2021 alone (from large centres to small, home based premises) as well as coordinating with Vet Practices across the UK. The WCB is a form of self policed ‘wildlife care’ regulation from within the wildlife rescue/rehabilitation community…
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I founded the WCB because I had the initial idea to see about developing a form of self regulation from within the Wildlife Rescue Industry itself and I was also in a position - already collaborating with lots of Wildlife Rescues & Vet Practices, running UKWT - to invite & oversee a united community of Wildlife Rehabbers & Vet Professionals, as I took on a Project Management role.
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We are just one planetary community of different creatures: we all deserve to thrive on our own terms. I founded the WCB because I want to be the most honestly empowered to know how best I can help any poorly/injured creature that comes my way. (We all of us find ourselves in trouble sometimes, so why not live in a world where we help one another out)? I want to be aware of the best places (Wildlife Rescues) who are honest and responsible in their efforts to nurture the well being of all of the creatures that they take in. In summary: I want to be in a position to provide a helping human hand, as and when needed, in the most responsible way possible (in the way that I would choose for myself and those I love) both as an individual and in running UK Wildlife Transporters.
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The WCB has been developed (I project managed it & all of the wildlife rehabilitative specialist development & content came from Wildlife Professionals) through a uniting of Wildlife Experienced Vets, Small 'Home Premises' Rehabbers, larger Wildlife Rescue Centres, General Practice Vets and other Wildlife Professionals. During 2021/2022, for over a year there were approximately 50hrs of Zoom meetings on every topic. There were extensive, multiple revisions as the WCB got ready to launch its first badge/policy, the RR&T Badge, in February 2022. (Its second badge, the LTC Badge, is still in development).
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Since the WCB launched its first badge, the WCB has formed its own WCB Community of Consultants to oversee our operational standards: we now have a WCB standards committee of 14 Vet Professionals & Wildlife Rehabbers, all with different backgrounds and experience and all situated across the UK.
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Our first wave of Wildlife Rescues/Rehabbers have signed up to process themselves through the WCB accreditation scheme.
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The WCB has held a number of professional ‘wildlife educational’ Webinars so far, uniting & benefitting Vet Professionals & Wildlife Rehabbers alike (with even more already suggested & on the way to being organised).
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The VWSP…. Under the banner of the WCB, the ‘Vet Wildlife Support Package’ has launched and has been requested by 60 Vet Practices in the UK so far…. This package is a collection of 'How To Guides' - that have been united and made much more accessible under the WCB banner - that have all been developed by wildlife trained Vets, for general practice Vets to use, in practice. These 'How To Guides' will hopefully aid in the treatment of 100s of wildlife casualties. Why is this important? Because… “As most Vets leave school with only very minimal wildlife training (and each wild species requires specialist care) making the VWSP accessible/available nationwide will make a huge difference to many wild lives: it could ensure that 1000s of wildlife casualties (who are dropped into Vets Practices, by members of the public) are successfully treated instead of being euthanased due to lack of knowledge.”
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The WCB has also just launched 2 new groups - under its umbrella - set up to aid Vet Professionals and Wildlife Rehabbers (in even greater numbers) to help and support one another to best save and serve our UK wildlife.
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The WCB Bat Badge was developed over 2023 & launched in December 2023.
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The 'Wild Affinity Network' was announced in Spring 2024.
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New announcements were made in Summer 2024, regarding the Wildlife Care Journal, a new WCB Grant Scheme & more.
FOUNDER OF THE WCB (AND CO-DEVELOPER)
(WCB DEVELOPMENT BEGAN IN FEBRUARY 2021 & THE WCB’S FIRST ACCREDITATION LAUNCHED FEBRUARY 2022 - Ongoing)
MY BACKGROUND
​I have a rather eclectic background (as per my previously referenced '24 years of experience in human and animal welfare’).
At school we had been taught to write letters for Amnesty International every week, to stand up for human rights. I was always very keen on a ‘fair’ world. When I volunteered in Swaziland after school, some of that time was spent visiting a childrens’ ward and that reaffirmed my awareness that everyone is entitled to a fair chance in our world and we can support one another to achieve it.
Before I started working in TV - when I was 22 - I flew back to Swaziland to make my own fundraising documentaries for some of the children in Mbabane. (Having just read his autobiography, The Wah-Wah Diaries, I reached out to Richard E Grant on the off chance that he would have the time to advise me on filming in Swaziland. I was lucky enough to get some great advice from him. He also incredibly kindly offered to narrate the documentaries when I returned. I am still extremely grateful for his advice and support. He played a big part in raising much needed funds).
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As Swaziland stuck in my heart (especially the memories of some of the children there who needed support) I threw a number of large fundraising events (large auctions hosted by wonderful, kind celebrities - like Jason Flemyng & Ben Miller - and massive extravaganzas with djs, bands, cage dancers, circus acts and even one very popular burlesque dancer) from 2007 - 2011, to raise funds to send out to the children's homes there and to fund further research into the situation there and how I could help more.
I made a few trips to Swaziland during 2004 - 2011 (I kept feeling called back to see if there was more that I could do) and during one visit I was approached by a small organisation who asked if I could help to build homes and create long term financial support for disabled youngsters there. I had no idea how to manage it and it has taken far longer than I ever expected to meet this request but thankfully I have now come up with a way to keep my promise, ironically thanks to my expansion into the rights of our planet, as a whole (I have called it, the Home Habitat Worldwide Scheme).
Once I was working in TV, I started in TV drama and then switched my career path to what I thought was my ideal media position: making human rights documentaries. It was in TV that I further honed skills that I had been utilising in my own projects - developing expertise - in drawing organisations & ideas & agendas together for collaboration & coordination, to manifest a common vision/programme goal. A lot of the documentary work was undercover (I didn’t do that bit, I just worked through all of the footage) so it was very revealing: it was daily life and war and extreme situations, without any glossy packaging. Those programmes were part of the foundation for all of my work now.
As I worked in human rights documentaries (and reflected on what I saw) all of the patterns of how we treat ourselves, other humans, our planet as a whole and all other creatures became increasingly evident to me. In a world that appeared to me to rock with conflicts (both huge & momentary) the chaos/confusion of our seemingly global human mindsets/behaviours appeared - to me - increasingly unnecessary. There are commonalities that we all share & I think that our planet is structured/designed to be a paradise for us all... The week that my mother died, I had an experience that reaffirmed my hopes for a wild world, that you can read about HERE.
I launched a project to connect with communities and organisations around the UK during 2018/2019, partly to research raising funding for Swaziland and partly because I was increasingly interested in human/animal rights and relationships in the UK and how I might be able to play my small part to help us ALL to thrive. I travelled the UK in a specially designed campervan, run as an eco coffee shop and stall (I was funded by eco friendly sponsors whose products I promoted and sold as I travelled). My mother’s illness, passing away & then lock down shut down my campervan efforts but fortunately by January 2020 I already felt ready & prepared (and had lots of useful contacts) to launch Wildscaping Worldwide. WW is part of my commitment to a ‘Wild World’.
As part of researching/developing a way to fund (and sustain/maintain) homes and support for disabled youngsters in Swaziland, I have run a number of initial fundraising efforts and I have organised & hosted live and online Q&As with such kind and talented actors like Richard E Grant & Jason Flemyng as well as incredible inspirations like Olympian Leon Taylor, Sir Rannulph Fiennes, famous Composers, Kim & Alan, of Soho House Studios, Jools Holland, Singer/Songwriter Mila Falls, Publisher Emma Beswetherwick, Richard Pierson (founder of Headspace) & Adventurers Mark Beaumont & Sean Conway. These Q&As were also published via Kindle, in 'It Ain't Gospel.'
Finally, I still have some involvement in the TV industry as I continue to occasionally pitch planet boosting programming ideas.
[THESE ARE JUST SOME PICS FROM THE EARLIER MOMENTS IN MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE (AND SOME PICS OF THE PLANS THAT HAVE BEEN DRAWN UP BY AN ARCHITECT FOR HOMES FOR DISABLED YOUNGSTERS). THESE ARE THE MOMENTS & EXPERIENCES THAT LED TO 'OUR PLANET (OUR PARADISE)' BEING LAUNCHED (AND ALL OF MY WILD EFFORTS). WHAT IS A WORLD WITHOUT LOVE? I THINK THAT OUR PLANET IS DESIGNED TO BE A LOVE STORY: THE GREATEST LOVE STORY WE COULD EVER IMAGINE.]
