Peter Scott

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Sir Peter Markham Scott, CH, CBE, DSC, FRS, FZS, (September 14, 1909 - August 29, 1989), was a British ornithologist, conservationist and painter.

Peter Scott was born in London, the only child of Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott. He was a half-brother of Wayland Young (Lord Kennet) and his godfather was the Scottish playwright J. M. Barrie. He was educated at Oundle School and Cambridge University, graduating from Trinity College in 1931. He inherited his artistic talent from his mother, Kathleen, and had his first exhibition in London in 1933. In 1936, he represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland at sailing in the Olympic Games.

During World War II Scott served in the navy, emulating his father. He was in the "little ships" against German E-boats. He is also partly credited with designing 'shadow camouflage', which disguised the look of ship superstructure. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for bravery. He stood as a Conservative candidate unsuccessfully in the 1945 general election in Wembley, North. In 1948, he founded the organisation with which he was ever afterwards closely associated, the Severn Wildfowl Trust (now the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust) with its headquarters at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire. In the years that followed, he led several ornithological expeditions worldwide, and became a television personality, popularising the study of wildfowl and wetlands. He wrote and illustrated several books on the subject, including his autobiography, The Eye of the Wind (1961).

He married Elizabeth Jane Howard in 1942. A daughter, Nicola, was born a year later. They divorced in 1951. He married Philippa Talbot-Ponsonby in the same year.

Scott took up gliding in 1956 and became a British champion in 1963. He was chairman of the British Gliding Association (BGA) for two years from 1968 and was president of the Bristol & Gloucestershire Gliding Club. He was responsible for involving Prince Philip in gliding; the Prince is still patron of the BGA.

Scott was also an accomplished sailor, winning an Olympic Bronze medal in 1936 for single-handed dinghy racing and numerous other sailing championships. He also skippered the 12 metre yacht Sovereign in the 1964 challenge for the America's Cup which was held by USA. Sovereign suffered a whitewash 4-0 defeat in a very one-sided competition where the American boat was seen to be the faster design.

From 1973-1983 Sir Peter Scott was Chancellor of the University of Birmingham.

He was one of the founders of the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), and designed its panda logo.

He is also remembered for giving the scientific name of Nessiteras rhombopteryx (based on a blurred underwater photograph of a supposed fin) to the Loch Ness Monster so that it could be registered as an endangered species. The name, based on Greek, means "the wonder of Ness with the diamond shaped fin" but is also an anagram of "Monster hoax by Sir Peter S".

Scott was a long-time Vice-President of the British Naturalists' Association, whose Peter Scott Memorial Award was instituted after his death, to commemorate his achievements. He received many awards during his distinguished life, including being appointed a CH - Companion of Honour.

In June 2004, Scott and Sir David Attenborough were jointly profiled in the second of a three part BBC Two series, The Way We Went Wild, about television wildlife presenters.

[edit] External links

• Article illustrated with his paintings
• Biography
• Biography at WWT site