Celebrating Bill Adams’ Contributions to Conservation

15th January 2025

Bill Adams, Senior Editor of Oryx and former Moran Professor of Conservation and Development at the University of Cambridge, has made a profound and lasting impact on CCI and the global conservation community.

After more than 25 years as Senior Editor of Oryx, Bill steps down this year, marking the end of an era for the magazine. In recognition of his remarkable influence, Julia P.G. Jones, Professor of Conservation Science at Bangor University, and E.J. Milner-Gulland, Professor at the University of Oxford, have written a special editorial in the Oryx celebrating Bill’s career and contributions.


As the title of the editorial suggests, Bill’s work has fundamentally reshaped how conservationists view the world. Retiring as Moran Professor of Conservation and Development at the University of Cambridge in 2022, Bill played a pivotal role in shaping the development and focus of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI), leaving a legacy that continues to inspire. Within CCI, his interdisciplinary approach to conservation has profoundly shaped Executive Director Melissa Leach’s thinking and career, as well as the perspectives of many others in our community, inspiring us to think more critically and deeply about our field.

The editorial highlights four key lessons from Bill’s extensive body of work to be celebrated. As the authors note, “Now is a good time to reflect on his extraordinary contributions and, we hope, introduce a new audience to his writing.”

Discover more about Bill’s writings and their enduring impact in the Oryx editorial.

Read Julia and E.J.’s editorial honouring Bill

Read Bill Adams’ final editorial for Oryx published in the same issue