Not one but two of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative’s founding members have been recognised in the Queen’s birthday honours – showing recognition at the highest level of the critical impact that working on nature has for society.
Professor William Sutherland, who holds the Miriam Rothschild Chair in Conservation Biology in the Department of Zoology, is a Professorial Fellow at St Catharine’s College and has been a member of the CCI since its launch in 2007, has been awarded a CBE for services to Evidence-based Conservation.
Professor Sutherland is one of the world’s leading conservation scientists, carrying out extensive research on ecological processes, predicting the impacts of environmental change, horizon scanning to identify forthcoming issues and developing novel processes for integrating science and policy.
Professor Sutherland, who was President of the British Ecological Society, has contributed significantly to CCI’s governance, collaborative programmes, including the Endangered Landscapes Programme and currently leads the CCI Conservation Seminar series.
Dr Andrew Clements, former Chief Executive Officer for the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and CCI Council member for over 10 years, was awarded an OBE for services to conservation and policy.
Dr Andy Clements is a naturalist and ornithologist and started as CEO of the BTO in 2007, helping to found CCI in the same year. Since then, he’s been a leading player in the strategic development of CCI, including two terms as Chair of CCI Council, serving on numerous committees and working groups and as a champion of CCI to external audiences, including the UK government’s environmental bodies.
In his current role as a Natural England board member, Andy chairs the Natural England Science Advisory Committee (NESAC) and the National Nature Reserve partnership.
Dr Mike Maunder, CCI Executive Director said of the honours:
‘It is wonderful that two of CCI’s most respected members are recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Both Bill and Andy have been with CCI from the start, and they have played a crucial role in forging the collaborative and science-based ethos of the partnership. Bill, as the Miriam Rothschild Professor of Conservation Biology within the University of Cambridge, continues to play a critical role in developing the evidence-based agenda for conservation management and brings his encyclopaedic understanding of conservation delivery to all conversations. Andy, prior to his retirement last year as CEO for the British Trust for Ornithology, grew BTO as a globally important science-based conservation organisation and has championed the strategic development and collaborative ethos of CCI. Importantly, both Andy and Bill are natural mentors who continue to support the careers of hundreds of conservationists.’
Huge congratulations to both Bill and Andy.
For more, read the Cambridge Independent’s interview with Bill Sutherland:
Read the full honours list here:
