Peter Harrison awarded 2017 Eisenmann Medal for Excellence in Ornithology
Posted by Shirley Metz
in Of Interest
2017 Eisenmann Medal
The 2017 Eisenmann Medal, the highest award given by the Linnaean Society of New York, was presented to Apex Co-founder, Peter Harrison, during the Society’s recent annual meeting in New York. Established in 1983, the award is in memory of Eugene Eisenmann, a highly-esteemed scientist who was also known for his willingness to spend countless hours advising students, amateur birders, and the general public about birds. The Eisenmann Medal is given to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to ornithology and who has inspired amateurs and aspiring naturalists to learn about and contribute to the world of science. Past recipients have included such legendary figures as Ernst Mayr, Roger Tory Peterson, David Sibley, and John Fitzpatrick.
Award-winning Author and Explorer
As an ornithologist, artist, and author of birding field guides, Peter is widely considered as one of the world’s foremost authorities on seabirds and one of the few who both write and illustrate their own books. His first publication, the award-winning Seabirds, An Identification Guide, was first published in 1983 and today is still considered the standard work on the seabirds of the world. An active conservationist, Peter was honored by her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with the title, “Member of the British Empire” for services to natural history. A fellow of the Explorers’ Club, Peter has led expeditions throughout the world culminating in a 2010 expedition to southern Chile where he led an international team to discover the first completely new seabird species to be discovered in over 70 years, the Pincoya Storm Petrel.
A Passion for Conservation of Seabird Habitats
Over recent years Peter has continued his conservation work and has helped to raise over 10 million dollars for such restoration programs as the “Save the Albatross” campaign, the Henderson Island Restoration program, the South Georgia Heritage Trust Restoration project, and most recently, the Gough Island Restoration drive. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to conservation causes, Peter was recently summoned to Westminster to receive England’s highest conservation award, the Royal Society’s Gold Medal.
Presently, Peter is approaching the final months of an eleven-year project to both write and illustrate a 2-volume Handbook to Seabirds of the World. Lavishly illustrated with over 270-full colored plates and over 3,000 hand-painted figures, the book will contain ground-breaking information on the charismatic life forms we call seabirds.
Learn more about Peter and his upcoming expeditions.
