John Lawton (biologist) facts for kids

Sir John Hartley Lawton (born 24 September 1943) is a famous British ecologist. An ecologist is a scientist who studies how living things interact with each other and their environment. Sir John has spent his life working to protect nature and wildlife.

He has held many important roles. He is a Vice President of the RSPB, which helps birds. He also leads the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the Institution of Environmental Sciences. He helps manage the York Museums Trust and is President of the York Ornithological Club.

Sir John used to be a trustee for WWF UK. He also led the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). In 2011, he received the RSPB Medal for his great work.

Early Life and Love for Nature

John Lawton loved nature from a young age. As a child, he joined the Young Ornithologists' Club. This club teaches young people about birds. Later, he helped run the RSPB group in York.

When he was young, he even volunteered for "Operation Osprey." This project helped protect osprey birds at Loch Garten in Scotland.

John Lawton's Career

Sir John Lawton studied at the University of Durham. He earned a degree in Zoology, which is the study of animals. Then, he completed his PhD in 1969.

He started his teaching career at the University of Oxford in 1968. In 1971, he moved to the Department of Biology, University of York. He became a full professor at York in 1985. He also started and led the NERC Centre for Population Biology. This center studies how animal populations change over time.

In 1999, he became the Chief Executive of NERC. This is a big job where he helped guide research into the natural environment. After retiring from NERC in 2005, he became the Chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. This group advised the government on environmental issues.

Protecting Wildlife and Habitats

Sir John's main work has been about how bird and insect populations live and grow. He also studied how biodiversity is affected by global environmental changes. Biodiversity means the variety of all living things on Earth.

He played a key role in creating the RSPB's plan to protect large natural areas. He also helped many environmental groups. He was the Chairman of the RSPB for five years. He was also a trustee for WWF-UK.

In 2004, he received the Japan Prize for Science and Technology. He shared this award for his work in understanding and protecting biodiversity.

Speaking Out on Climate Change

Sir John Lawton has often spoken about global warming. This is the warming of Earth's climate due to human activities. He believes it is a serious problem.

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he said that the stronger storms might be due to global warming. He hoped that such events would make people realize the importance of addressing climate change.

Awards and Recognitions

Sir John Lawton has received many awards for his important work. Here are some of them:

• President's Gold Medal of the British Ecological Society (1987)
• CBE (1997) - This is an honor from the British King or Queen.
• Japan Prize (2004)
• Knight Bachelor (2005) - This means he can use the title "Sir."
• Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology (2006)
• Foreign Associate, US National Academy of Sciences (2008)
• Foreign Honorary Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2008)
• RSPB Medal (2011)
• CIEEM Medal (2017)