OBE FOR KENT CONSERVATIONIST AND GCT PATRON

Buckingham Palace has announced that Professor Ian Swingland, founder of the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) at the University of Kent, has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year Honours List for 2007. The citation recognises his services to conservation.

Ian Swingland established his early reputation through research on the endangered giant tortoises on Aldabra atoll in the Indian Ocean. He joined the University of Kent as Lecturer in the School of Continuing Education in 1979 and founded DICE - Britain's first postgraduate training institute in conservation science - in 1989. He was promoted to a personal chair in Conservation Biology in 1994.

In addition to founding DICE, Ian Swingland has also held many other trustee and editorial positions, including co-founder and trustee of the Herpetological Conservation Trust and co-founder of the academic journal 'Biodiversity and Conservation'.

In 1999, Ian Swingland took early retirement from the University but has retained close connections with DICE as Emeritus Professor of Conservation Biology, and Chair of the Durrell Trust for Conservation Biology. In 2003, he edited the book 'Capturing Carbon and Conserving Biodiversity', an influential study on how reducing global warming and saving biodiversity can be financially sustainable. He co-founded Sustainable Forestry Management Ltd in 1999 on these principles. The University of Kent awarded Ian Swingland the honorary degree of Doctor of Science in 2005 in recognition of his many achievements in conservation.

Ian Swingland said, "I gain continuous pleasure at meeting DICE alumni around the world and seeing the worthwhile contributions they make to improving prospects for conservation, helped by the multidisciplinary and practical training they receive at DICE. I am most grateful to the University of Kent for the support it gave in establishing DICE's innovative and ground breaking programme, and to my colleagues in DICE for building up the programme to its current international standing. Naturally, I am deeply honoured by this award."

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales has led the personal congratulations from across the world which include the Secretary General of the United Nations and President of the Asian Development Bank.

In honour of Professor Swingland's OBE, GCT is raising funds for the tortoise breeding centre at the Charles Darwin Research Station. If you would like to give a donation to the centre, please visit Online donation, or contact the GCT office on 020 7629 5049 or email gct@gct.org.

..Top