Janet Kear facts for kids

Janet Kear OBE (born January 13, 1933 – died November 24, 2004) was a famous English scientist. She was an ornithologist, which means she studied birds. Janet Kear especially loved and studied waterfowl, like ducks and geese. She also worked hard to protect these birds.

Early Life and Education

Janet Kear was born in Middlesex, England. Her father was Harold Kear, and her mother was Constance May. She had a brother named David. He later became a director of science in New Zealand.

Janet went to several schools. She studied at Walthamstow Hall and Caspar Junior College. Then she attended King's College London. From 1956, she studied at Girton College, Cambridge. In 1959, she earned her PhD degree. Her research was about how finches find and eat their food.

Work with Wildfowl

In 1959, Janet Kear joined the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT). This organization was started by Peter Scott in Slimbridge, England. At WWT, Janet focused on studying waterfowl.

Saving the Hawaiian Goose

One of her most important projects was helping the Hawaiian goose, also called the Nene. This bird was very rare. Janet worked to breed these geese in captivity. Her goal was to release them back into the wild. This helped save the Hawaiian goose from extinction.

Studying Waterfowl Behavior

Janet also studied how geese behave and grow. She looked at how they grazed, meaning how they ate grass. She also researched the health of waterfowl. From 1974 to 1977, she helped manage the bird collections at WWT.

In 1964, Janet married Geoffrey Matthews. He was also a researcher at the WWT. They later separated in 1978.

Leading the Way

In 1977, Janet became the curator of a new WWT center. This center was located at Martin Mere in Lancashire. A curator is someone who manages a collection, like birds in a wildlife center.

Janet Kear was a pioneer for women in science. She was the first woman to hold important leadership roles in the British Ornithologists' Union. This is a major group for bird scientists in Britain.

Important Roles and Awards

• From 1989 to 1991, she was the Vice-President.
• From 1991 to 1995, she became the President.
• She also edited the Ibis magazine. This is a well-known science journal about birds. She edited it from 1980 to 1988.

Janet Kear wrote several important books about birds. These included The Mute Swan (1989), Man And Wildfowl (1990), and Ducks of the World (1991).

She received many honors for her work. She was made a fellow of Liverpool University. In 1990, she received an honorary doctorate from John Moores University. In 1993, she was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This is a special award from the British government. In 1998, she received the British Ornithologists' Union's medal.

Legacy

Janet Kear passed away in 2004. At the time, she was writing a book about an old saint named Werburgh. This saint was known for her connection with geese.

To honor her amazing contributions, the British Ornithologists' Union renamed its special medal. From 2019, it is called the "Janet Kear Union Medal." This shows how important her work was to the study and protection of birds.