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Eric Greenwood, with his wife Barbara, in their garden
at the presentation of the President's Medal from the Royal Society of Biology |
Eric Greenwood CBiol, FRSB has been presented with the President’s Medal of the Royal Society of Biology. He was awarded the Medal in 2020 in recognition of his work with the local RSB branch, but was unable to receive it due to Covid restrictions. However at a recent happy event in his Heswall garden, Eric was presented with the Medal by members of the North Western branch of the RSB surrounded by friends and family.
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Back row, L - R: Jean
Wilson (RSB), Dr Alan Bedford (RSB), Chippy Wielopolska, Dr Hugh McAlister, Mike Clapham (RSB), Stephen Ross, Robert Freath, Dr Hilary Ash, Dr Thomas Evans (son-in-law).
Front row, L - R:
Barbara Greenwood, Eric Greenwood, Dr Emma Greenwood (daughter).
Photo: Lesley
Sutherland. |
Eric was Keeper of Botany at the Liverpool Museum, becoming Keeper of the World Museum Liverpool. He was largely responsible for securing the large Lottery grant to enable the Museum’s major redevelopment, before retiring in 1998. He was responsible for setting up the North West Biological Field Data Bank ensuring that local naturalists’ records did not get lost. This eventually led to Record and Mersey Biobank, who today do the same work electronically, and pass records to the National Biodiversity Network. Eric is the author of Hunting Plants and Flora of North Lancashire, the latter being an accumulation of systemic survey work of the region’s plants over the course of 46 years.
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| Eric's President’s Medal from the Royal Society of Biology |
Following retirement, Eric remains an active member of the botanical community, even though he has retired as the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland’s vice-county recorder for VC60 (West Lancaster). He has acted as botanical advisor to Wirral Wildlife’s recording team for years, identifying difficult plants especially grasses, sedges and orchids. He is still doing much botanising in Wirral, finding new plants and re-finding old records.
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The other side of Eric's Medal
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Eric was nominated by Jean Wilson MBE CBiol FRSB, current vice chair of the North Western branch of the RSB. She commented: “I would describe Eric as a gentleman biologist, always polite and completely professional. He is still passionate and committed to the natural world, and is a man for whom I have the greatest respect.”
Professor Sir Ian Boyd FRSB, President of the RSB writes: “I want to offer you my sincere congratulations on your award and to thank you for your hard work over many years’ association with the North Western branch, and for your extremely long-term Fellowship support over many years. Your significant contribution to the Society is very much appreciated and I hope that this is reflected in the award of your President’s Medal”.
