The Power of Perseverance
By Ellie Cornforth
26 March 2025
An interview with James Foley (MSc Tropical Coast Management, 2007), by student Ellie Cornforth
The Power of Perseverance
"David Attenborough was my childhood hero" says James Foley, Oceans’ Manager for The Nature Conservancy, smiling fondly.
His office walls are adorned with pictures and posters, each revealing an interesting anecdote from his explorations.
Following warm introductions, James jumps right into one of the most important matters at hand - how much the pub scene in Newcastle has changed. He reminisces over a few favourites before the conversation turns back to James’ other love - the outdoors.
Originally from Surrey, James recalls spending his childhood ‘chasing butterflies and putting worms in jars’. His inspiration for the role he is in now came from meeting a local lady, who had spent time in Uganda, helping underprivileged orphans and supporting conservation projects. Her stories resonated with James, sowing the seeds for a lifelong passion to work in this field.
James, pictured right on a family holiday in France in 1987. He discusses at length his family’s love of nature, and their encouragement that he partake in such activities from a young age. This created a lifelong passion for nature, inevitably leading to him pursuing it at degree and career levels.
Making the move (and back again)
James decided to scratch the itch to take this passion further afield, spending three months on an expedition in Chile, as part of his gap year after college. During this time, he worked as an assistant to a PhD student, gaining invaluable insight and experience within the field. James enthuses how he could have stayed there for years longer, but knew deep down that university back in England was the next step for him.
He chuckles as he points out the stark contrast of going from spending days exploring Chile (pictured left) to sitting in a lecture hall in rainy Sheffield, where he completed his undergraduate studies. Although he enjoyed his time there (not a patch on Newcastle, though, he hastens to add), James mentioned he spent his days longing to be back in South America. Upon graduating, he wasted no time in returning to what he considered ‘home’, going to Cuba, and then on to Nicaragua, with a fellow graduate.
Here to help
In Nicaragua, James’ role entailed putting to good use his qualification to teach English abroad, and eventually working with underprivileged fishing communities. He explains how dire the situation was, becoming frustrated at the lack of education and safety controls in place for those who were so desperate for jobs they had no choice but to put their lives at risk.
James realised that it was predominantly the fault of large American food companies (providing Red Lobster as an example) who had a monopoly within the fishing industry and were exploiting locals in deprived areas. It occurred to him that in order to be able to have a lasting impact and help such communities, he needed a more in-depth education himself, concluding that a masters was the way forward.
Back to school
"Tropical Coastal Management. That very common course," James jokes. He was looking for a course which combined both the academic knowledge he would need, but would also allow him to understand the political and social aspects, which in turn would enable him to communicate better with the people he met. The rounded course offered by Newcastle University immediately caught his eye. Although, he admits the workload was so intense he feels like he "didn’t make it to the pub as much as I wanted!"
"Is Nick Polunin still teaching?" James asks, proceeding to praise his old professor for creating a supportive and nurturing environment. The Russell Group university also attracted many pertinent guest speakers. The events hosted by the university gave James a lot of extracurricular knowledge and an extensive professional network to draw upon. He credits the unique diversity of the course and the encouraging nature of the staff for the job offer he obtained immediately after graduation. "Newcastle was fundamental in opening my eyes to the broad range of opportunities I had at my disposal".
Weathering the storm
His job in a tiny fishing community in Roatan, Honduras seemed almost too good to be true. Immersed in a range of roles, such as supervising, enforcement control, fundraising and rehabilitation projects, James felt in his element.
James’ time in Roatan saw him involved in several rescue and rehabilitation projects (pictured right). Involvement in such projects has played a key role in James’ ability to educate and inform locals, making a huge difference in these communities. His time at Newcastle was of paramount importance in helping James give back to disadvantaged areas.
However, a volatile political movement in 2009 abruptly ended James’ time here, leaving him no choice but to return to the UK, where he sadly admits was the last place he wanted to be. James was now 30, unemployed and living back home with his parents.
Starting again, he then secured an unpaid internship with The World Wide Fund for Nature, but he describes it as "mind-numbingly dull" and quit after a short time. However, his connections from Newcastle University, and a conversation with a fellow graduate, led him back overseas - this time, to the Mediterranean working for The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna.
Finding his feet
Although a fantastic opportunity, James recalls how his time at sea still didn’t allow him to pursue his desire to help the underprivileged communities who still "had his heart". Feeling unfulfilled and isolated, spending months at sea, James took a chance and accepted a job with The Nature Conservancy in Belize, which turned out to be "the perfect fit".
With a tumultuous time behind him, James immersed himself in this new role, focusing on the importance of educating those from deprived fishing families, who would otherwise have had to turn to dangerous jobs or crime, to make ends meet. James maintains that this is his proudest accomplishment, teaching this generation and the next how to sustainably make a living in a safe and legal environment.
"Persevere, persevere and persevere" James stresses, as he ponders what advice to give to those following in his footsteps, adding that any sacrifice will always be worth the reward of changing people’s lives for the better.
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