Fellowship of The British Naturalists’ Association
(Honoris Causa)

To promote due recognition of excellence in natural history, the Trustees instigated a Fellowship of The British Naturalists’ Association (Honoris Causa) which is only bestowed upon a small number of naturalists of outstanding calibre. Recipients of the BNA’s highest annual award, the Peter Scott Memorial Award are granted Fellowship (Honoris Causa) in acknowledgement that the Award is bestowed only to a naturalist who has made an internationally recognised outstanding contribution to our understanding of natural history. The Fellowship (Honoris Causa) will also be bestowed infrequently on eminent naturalists who meet this same standard of exacting criteria, (this latter origin of Fellows (Honoris Causa) is strictly limited to a small number). The formation of this Fellowship was in accordance with the Aims of the Association to promote the study of natural history, and is part of a programme to enhance the effectiveness of the Association in promoting these Aims.

Sir David Attenborough was bestowed with the Fellowship (Honoris Causa) of the British Naturalists’ Association at the Encaenia at the 2007 Annual Conference of the Association as the 2007 Recipient of the BNA Peter Scott Memorial Award. In recognition of his international pre-eminence and achievement as an outstanding natural history broadcaster for over 50 years, Sir David was bestowed as the Founder’s Fellow recalling that E Kay Robinson, the founder of the BNA, was the first natural history broadcaster to present a series on the BBC shortly after it was formed. At the Encaenia at the BNA’s 2007 Annual Conference, Dr Max Hooper, Dr Oliver Rackham and Professor Mike Majerus, former recipients of the Peter Scott Memorial Award were also recognised as Fellows (Honoris Causa).

At a Congregation of the Association held at Northampton University on the 25th November 2006, Professor David Bellamy, the President of The British Naturalists’ Association, was bestowed with the Honorary Fellowship by the Chairman of BNA, Roger Tabor who placed the Fellowship’s academic hood on Professor Bellamy. The Chairman was also confirmed as an Honorary Fellow on the occasion as a past recipient of the Peter Scott Memorial Award.

Further past recipients also with entitlement to Honorary Fellowship by virtue of the Award are:

Professor John Cloudsley-Thompson
Bill Oddie
Tony Soper
Dr Harold Hughes

Those with entitlement by virtue of election by the Association’s Fellowship Advisory Board are :

Professor Trevor Beebee
Professor Alastair Fitter
Dr Tim Sparks

The bestowing and confirming of these Honorary Fellowships will normally occur at the Association’s Encaenia (award ceremonies).