David W. Macdonald
Encyclopedia
David Whyte Macdonald CBE
FRSE is a Scottish zoologist
and conservationist
. He is the Director of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Oxford University, which he founded in 1986. He is Oxford’s first Professor of Wildlife Conservation, holding a Senior Research Fellowship at Lady Margaret Hall.
. He has published over 300 papers in refereed international journals, and written or edited more than a dozen books, of which the most recent is Key Topics in Conservation Biology.
Amongst other things he is currently a Visiting Professor at Imperial College, chair of the Darwin Advisory Committee
, Chair of Natural England
’s Science Advisory Committee and board member, a Trustee of Earthwatch Europe and WWF-UK, and council member of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
.
He has done much to popularize biology with the general public. He is known for his documentary films and his popular books, for which he has twice won the Natural World
Author of the Year award. His Night of the Fox won the BAFTA
for Best Documentary Film of 1976, Running with the Fox won the Natural History Book of the Year award for 1987, and Meerkats United won the Wildscreen
1988 award. His films include the popular BBC
seven-part series The Velvet Claw, a natural history of carnivores.
' Merriam Prize for research in mammalogy
in 2006, and in 2007 The Mammal Society of Great Britain
's equivalent medal. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
in March 2008.
Macdonald was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
FRSE is a Scottish zoologist
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
and conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
. He is the Director of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Oxford University, which he founded in 1986. He is Oxford’s first Professor of Wildlife Conservation, holding a Senior Research Fellowship at Lady Margaret Hall.
Career
David Macdonald’s concept was, and remains, to undertake original research on aspects of fundamental biology relevant to solving practical problems of wildlife conservation and environmental management, and thus to underpin policy formation and public debate of the many issues that surround the conservation of wildlife and its habitats. From his early work on red foxes he retains a specialisation in carnivores, with an increasing emphasis on felidsFelidae
Felidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. Felids are the strictest carnivores of the thirteen terrestrial families in the order Carnivora, although the three families of marine mammals comprising the superfamily pinnipedia are as carnivorous as the...
. He has published over 300 papers in refereed international journals, and written or edited more than a dozen books, of which the most recent is Key Topics in Conservation Biology.
Amongst other things he is currently a Visiting Professor at Imperial College, chair of the Darwin Advisory Committee
Darwin Initiative
The Darwin Initiative is a UK Government funding program that aims to assist countries with rich biodiversity but poor financial resources to meet their objectives under the Convention on Biological Diversity ; the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ;...
, Chair of Natural England
Natural England
Natural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
’s Science Advisory Committee and board member, a Trustee of Earthwatch Europe and WWF-UK, and council member of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust is a wildfowl and wetland conservation charity in the United Kingdom. Its patron is Queen Elizabeth II.It was founded in 1946 by the ornithologist and artist Sir Peter Scott, initially as the Severn Wildfowl Trust...
.
He has done much to popularize biology with the general public. He is known for his documentary films and his popular books, for which he has twice won the Natural World
Natural World
Natural World is the longest-running nature documentary series on British television. 2008 marked the series' 25th anniversary under its present title, though its origins can be traced back to its predecessor The World About Us which began over 40 years ago...
Author of the Year award. His Night of the Fox won the BAFTA
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
for Best Documentary Film of 1976, Running with the Fox won the Natural History Book of the Year award for 1987, and Meerkats United won the Wildscreen
Wildscreen
Wildscreen is an educational charity based in Bristol, England, working globally to promote the conservation of nature, and the public’s appreciation of biodiversity, through wildlife imagery....
1988 award. His films include the popular BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
seven-part series The Velvet Claw, a natural history of carnivores.
Awards and honours
He won the Dawkins Prize for Conservation and Animal Welfare in 2005, he was awarded the American Society of MammalogistsAmerican Society of Mammalogists
The American Society of Mammalogists was founded in 1919. Its primary purpose is to encourage the study of mammals and professions studying mammals. There are over 4,500 members of this society, and they are primarily professional scientists who emphasize the importance of public policy and...
' Merriam Prize for research in mammalogy
Mammalogy
In zoology, mammalogy is the study of mammals – a class of vertebrates with characteristics such as homeothermic metabolism, fur, four-chambered hearts, and complex nervous systems...
in 2006, and in 2007 The Mammal Society of Great Britain
The Mammal Society
The Mammal Society is a British natural history organisation, which studies the wild mammals of the United Kingdom.It gives its mission statement as:...
's equivalent medal. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...
in March 2008.
Macdonald was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours.
Other interests
David Macdonald's other interests include farming (sheep and sheep dogs), Burns' poetry, rowing and golf.External links
- WildCRU Wildlife Conservation Research Unit of the University of Oxford Department of Zoology
- IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union, Species Survival Commission