Oliver Rackham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oliver Rackham
Born	(1939-10-17)17 October 1939 Bungay, England
Died	12 February 2015(2015-02-12) (aged 75) Cambridge, England
Nationality	British
Alma mater	University of Cambridge
Known for	woodlands, historical ecology
Awards	Order of the British Empire (1998)
Scientific career
Fields	Botany
Institutions	University of Cambridge

Oliver Rackham (born October 17, 1939 – died February 12, 2015) was a smart professor at the University of Cambridge. He spent his life studying the nature and history of the British countryside. He was especially interested in trees, forests (called woodlands), and areas where trees and grass mix (called wood pastures). His most famous books are Ancient Woodland (1980) and The History of the Countryside (1986).

Life and School

Oliver Rackham was born in a town called Bungay. He went to school in Norwich before earning a scholarship to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1958. He studied Natural Sciences and later got his PhD.

He started his career studying physics. But he soon moved to different departments at Cambridge University. He worked in the Department of Botany and later the Department of Geography. In 2006, he became an Honorary Professor of Historical ecology. This means he studied how nature and landscapes have changed over time. He also taught about the history of woodlands at the Kingcombe Centre.

He stayed connected to Corpus Christi College for a long time. He was even the Master of the College for a year. This is a very important leadership role.

What He Studied

Oliver Rackham was a very active historical ecologist. He was most interested in how British woodlands work, their past, and how they are managed. He kept many notebooks from when he was young until he died. In these books, he wrote down observations about plants, the weather, and his college duties.

He came up with the idea of "ancient woodland" from his research. These are old forests that are rich in different kinds of plants. They were often managed using old methods. His 1980 book, Ancient Woodland, its History, Vegetation and Uses in England, helped people understand how important these areas are. It even changed how the government and planners thought about protecting forests.

He also believed in using traditional ways to manage woodlands, like coppicing. Coppicing is when you cut trees close to the ground. This lets more sunlight reach the forest floor. More light helps different plants grow there.

In 1986, he published The History of the Countryside. Many people think this is his greatest work. It's a big book that tells the story of the British landscape. It covers everything from ancient times to today. The book won several awards. He also wrote Woodlands (2006) and a book about Hatfield Forest.

Besides his work in England, he also studied the nature of Crete. He wrote The Making of the Cretan Landscape with Jenny Moody. His college even named one of their boats 'Rackham the Red' to honor him!

Personal Life

Oliver Rackham was an only child. He never married. He passed away on February 12, 2015, at the age of 75.

Awards and Honors

Oliver Rackham received several awards for his important work:

• He was given the OBE in 1998. This was for his "services to Nature Conservation."
• He became a Fellow of the British Academy in 2002.
• He received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Essex in 2000.
• His book The History of the Countryside won several awards. These included the Angel Literary Award and the Natural World Book of the Year.

Books He Wrote

Here are some of the books Oliver Rackham wrote:

• Trees and Woodland in the British Landscape (1976, revised 1990, 2001)
• Ancient Woodland: its history, vegetation and uses in England (1980)
• The History of the Countryside: The full fascinating story of Britain's landscape (1986)
• The Ancient Woodland of England: The Woods of South-East Essex (1986)
• The Last Forest: The story of Hatfield Forest (1989, 1998)
• The making of the Cretan landscape (1996, with Jennifer Moody)
• The Nature of Mediterranean Europe: An Ecological History (2003, with A.T. Grove)
• The Illustrated History of the Countryside (2003)
• Woodlands (2006)
• Transitus Beati Fursei: A Translation of the 8th Century Manuscript Life of Saint Fursey (2007)
• The Ash Tree (2014)
• The Ancient Woods of the Helford River (2019)