Peter Scott
Scott, Peter (1909-1989) was an English naturalist. Scott founded wildlife conservation organizations in the United Kingdom and led research expeditions to many parts of the world. He also became well known for his paintings of birds, for his radio and television broadcasts on conservation and wildlife, and for the many books he wrote and illustrated.
Peter Markham Scott was born on Sept. 14, 1909, in London, England. He received a bachelor's degree in botany and history of art from Cambridge University in 1930.
From 1931 to 1933, Scott studied art at the Royal Academy Schools in London. In 1933, a successful exhibition of his wildlife paintings launched his career as an artist. Also a keen yachtsman, Scott represented the United Kingdom in the 1936 Olympic Games and won a bronze medal in the single-handed sailing event. During World War II (1939–1945), Scott served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.
In November 1946, Scott founded the Severn Wildfowl Trust (now the Wildlife and Wetlands Trust) in Slimbridge, England. He led his first research expedition in 1949, to the Perry River area in the Canadian Arctic region. Other expeditions followed in the 1950's.
In 1961, Scott helped establish the World Wildlife Fund. In 1963, he won the National Open Gliding Championship of the United Kingdom.
Scott was knighted in 1973. He became chancellor of Birmingham University in England in 1974. Scott died of a heart attack on Aug. 29, 1989, at a hospital in Bristol, England.