Page 56 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #11

WILDNEWS

OBITUARY
OBITUARY
Peter Melchett
Johnny Kingdom (1948-2018)

(1939-2018)

or more than 40 years, Peter
n 6 September, Britain lost one of was hard-won. Gleaned through FMelchett provided a unique quality of
Oits most resounding characters. life-long experience of many country leadership within the UK environment
Johnny died when his digger tipped professions: farm worker, forester, movement – as a Government minister
over on his nature reserve in Devon. grave digger, quarryman – even under Labour in the 1970s, the face and
He was 79 years old. poacher. He was an old-world inspirational voice of Greenpeace through
Johnny will be remembered for his countryman, making it all the more the 1990s, and as the hugely influential
boundless enthusiasm for the wildlife remarkable that in his late 60s he was policy director of the Soil Association
of Exmoor, his beloved home habitat. able to reinvent himself as a television right up to his much-lamented death at
His television programmes were presenter of his own successful show the end of August. But he had a much
about wildlife, but were memorable with over three million viewers. wider presence in the movement,
for Johnny himself. His broad Devon Johnny was a gentleman, always through the Ramblers, World Wildlife
brogue, camouflage suits and leather courteous, self-deprecating, pleased Fund, Wildlife & Countryside Link, and a
cowboy hat with its bundle of pheasant to meet new friends – and huge fun. host of other organisations and networks.
feathers, made him a screen natural. His laugh was memorable and deeply During that time, he was consistently
His love of wildlife was not infectious. He will be sorely missed. radical in his views, unfalteringly polite
scientific, it was passionate; having Sir John Lister-Kaye in his advocacy, with a streak of irreverent
left school at 15, Johnny’s knowledge humour that could lift the most tedious
meeting. This made him a much-admired
colleague, a highly respected adversary
and a very special friend to many.
Jonathon Porritt

Peter Melchett:
radical and
inspirational.

Johnny Kingdom’s
knowledge of wildlife
was gleaned through
years of experience.

Nature in brief

Into the rough Giant leaps

Controversial plans for a golf Basking sharks can leap from Johnny K ngdom: Chr stopher Jones/A amy; Peter Me chett: Eastern Da
course on wildlife-rich sand the water as vigorously as
dunes at Coul Links in north-east their feistier cousins, the great
Scotland are being reviewed whites, reports Biology Letters.
for the Scottish Government. The function of this rather out-
Two reporters are considering of-character behaviour is not
the case, and a public inquiry is known. It may be a social display nuthatch: Matthew Gardner/UEA; basking shark: Bren Whelan; murmeration: David Williams/ BIA/ Minden/Getty
likely next spring. or a way of removing parasites.

Signs of life Your tweets count y Press; Cou
The Bahama nuthatch, a bird Twitter posts can provide nks: A
feared extinct after a hurricane reliable and accurate data
devastated its pine forest habitat for the study of starling
in 2016, has been rediscovered murmurations or the emergence
on Grand Bahama. It’s thought of flying ants according to a son Sear /RSPB Scot and;
only two remain, though, and recent report published by the
there are fears both are male. University of Gloucestershire.

56 BBC Wildlife November 2018