Talk abstract:
Rev Gilbert White (1720-1793) is best known as the author of The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne (1789), and commonly referred to as the ‘Father of Ecology’. His work has influenced the great and the good of natural history, including Charles Darwin and Sir David Attenborough, and many, many naturalists, amateur and professional, both here and abroad. When people think of White, often they first think of his work on birds, particularly Swifts and Swallows, but what interest did he have in mammals? In this talk we’ll explore the mammals White encountered, how his work with them influenced natural history of the time, and how it relates to our understanding of our mammal fauna in Britain today. We’ll finish with a short overview of my research into White and his networks, including his lesser-known connections to both Oxford and London.

Speaker bio:
I have been fascinated by the wildlife of the British Isles for as long as I can remember. After working in ecology in almost every role imaginable for local government, consultancy, NGO’s and academia, ten years ago I found myself lucky enough to start working for the Natural History Museum in London in the Centre for UK Nature. I’ve aways been a mammal specialist, primarily British bats, and continue wherever I can to work with bats, either in the field, in collections, or with the public. Today I am Fellow and Trustee of the British Naturalists Association, Associate Editor of Archives of Natural History, the journal of the Society for the History of Natural History, Fellow and past Council Member of the Linnean Society of London, and member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management. I have recently been awarded the David Bellamy Award for ‘Exceptional Field Naturalist’ by the British Naturalists Association. My DPhil at the University of Oxford focuses on natural history in the late 18th Century, and it’s influence on networks of naturalists in modern amateur natural history. This follows on from my MSt in Historical Studies, part funded by the British Society for the History of Science, which focused on the ‘Father of Ecology’, Gilbert White. I am passionate about the intersection of ecology and history, and enthusiastic communicator with experience in writing and broadcasting for peer, student, and public audiences.