Esmé Kirby

Esmé Kirby (born Esmé Cummings, 31 August 1910, Croydon, died 18 October 1999, Snowdonia), was conservationist who together with her husband Peter Kirby formed the Snowdonia National Park Society, to ensure the mountains were protected from future development. She was previously married to Thomas Firbank, whose bestseller "I Bought a Mountain" describes their life at the hill farm Dyffryn Mymbyr during the 1930s. Esme left the farm to the National Trust.[1] [2][3]

In 1997, Esmé initiated the eradication of grey squirrels (S. carolinensis) from the island of Anglesey, building a partnership of like minded individuals from within the local community. Today, the grey squirrel is absent from Anglesey and the island contains the largest red squirrel population in Wales.