Ghillean Prance facts for kids

Sir Ghillean Tolmie Prance (born July 13, 1937) is a famous British scientist. He is a botanist, meaning he studies plants. He is also an ecologist, studying how living things interact with their environment.

Sir Ghillean has written many books about different plant families. He is especially known for studying how the giant water lily, Victoria amazonica, gets pollinated. He also used to be the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, a very important plant garden in England.

Early Life and Education

Ghillean Prance was born in Brandeston, Suffolk, England. This was on July 13, 1937. He went to Malvern College for his schooling. Later, he studied at Keble College, Oxford, which is part of Oxford University.

In 1957, he earned a science degree in biology. He continued his studies and received a special doctorate degree in forest botany in 1963. This degree was from the Commonwealth Forestry Institute at Oxford.

A Career Studying Plants

Sir Ghillean started working at The New York Botanical Garden in 1963. He began as a research assistant. When he left in 1988, he was a senior leader there. He was the Director of the Institute of Economic Botany.

He spent much of his time exploring the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. He conducted many studies on the plants there. In 1973, he helped create the first plant science degree program in the Amazon. This was at the National Institute of Amazonian Research in Manaus.

From 1988 to 1999, Sir Ghillean was the Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. This is one of the most famous botanical gardens in the world.

Later Work and Interests

Even after retiring, Sir Ghillean has stayed very busy. He has been involved with the Eden Project. This is a large environmental attraction in Cornwall, England. It teaches people about plants and nature.

Sir Ghillean is a Christian. He was the chair of an organization called A Rocha. He also served as president of Christians in Science from 2002 to 2008.

He cares deeply about environmental issues. He is a trustee for the Amazon Charitable Trust. He is also a Vice-President of the Nature in Art Trust. For several years, he has been the president of the UK Wild Flower Society.

Awards and Recognition

Sir Ghillean Prance was knighted in 1995. This means he received the title "Sir" from the Queen. He has been a Fellow of the Linnean Society since 1961. He was also its president from 1997 to 2000.

In 1993, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists. He received the Victoria Medal of Honour in 1999. In 1994, he was given the Patron's Medal by the Royal Geographical Society.

In 2000, the President of Brazil made him a Commander of the Order of the Southern Cross. In 2012, the Government of Japan awarded him the Order of the Rising Sun. These awards show his important contributions around the world.

Legacy and Influence

Two photographic pictures of Sir Ghillean Prance are kept at the National Portrait Gallery, London.

In 1984, a botanist named Dieter Carl Wasshausen discovered a new group of flowering plants. He named this group Pranceacanthus after Sir Ghillean. These plants are found in Brazil and Bolivia.

A book about Sir Ghillean's life was written by Clive Langmead in 2001.

Publications

• Prance, G. T.; Nesbitt, Mark. (editors) The Cultural History of Plants. Routledge.

Video

• A Passion for Plants (DVD), Christian Television Association (of the UK)