I’m thrilled to be an elected Fellow of The Linnean Society of London.
“The Linnean Society of London is the world’s oldest active biological society. Founded in 1788 by Sir James Edward Smith (1759–1828), who was its first President. The Society takes its name from the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) whose botanical, zoological and library collections have been in its keeping since 1829.” – https://www.linnean.org/the-society
The Society is a forum for Natural History: ’It was at a meeting of the Society in 1858 that papers from Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace outlining the theory of evolution by natural selection were first presented.’
I first visited The Linnean Society to research Maxwell Knight’s journey as an amateur naturalist. Knight was a proud Fellow of The Society. I’m proud to be following in Knight’s (and Margaret Cooper’s) footsteps.
I’d like to thank Margaret Cooper, FLS for submitting the Certificate of Recommendation and Fellows who elected me in the ballot. I’m looking forward to being formally admitted by signing the Roll & Charter at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London.
FFON. Written by nature detectives. 
Enormous Congrats Simon
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Thanks! It’s all very exciting.
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Dear Simon,
Congratulations! I signed the ballot and was a scrutineer on the night! I am a Surgeon and entomologist and have been a Fellow of the Linnean for over 30 years – I can remember the thrill when I was elected a Fellow!. I have known John Cooper for many years and I attended your Maxwell Knight Symposium.
I hope you will derive great benefit from your Fellowship (the Library is second to none and the meetings are superb).
Hope to see you at a meeting soon.
Congratulations once again!
Malcolm Aldridge MS FRCS FRCS(Ed) FRES FLS
>
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Dear Malcolm,
Thank you for the kind note, and for signing the ballot. I’m thrilled to have been elected a Fellow. I’m certainly looking forward to spending time in that incredible library, and I hope to bump into you at a meeting soon.
Thanks for attending the Maxwell Knight Symposium – it was an unforgettable event.
If you ever feel like contributing a guest post on the FFON blog/website, we’d be happy to receive it. I often include a mention of insects in my posts; however, for the sake of good order, it would be wonderful to have a few pieces from someone who really knows what they’re talking about!
In the meantime, best wishes
Simon
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Well done, Simon – soon to be admitted as a Fellow of the Linnean Society (FLS)!
This is well-deserved. Your concern for the natural world and your ongoing efforts to increase public awareness of the growing threats to our planet are so important.
The *Frightened Face of Nature* (FFON) website which you instigated and so conscientiously maintain provides vital information about pressing issues relating to wildlife
and conservation.
Last year you helped us run the symposium in London commemorating the life and work of Maxwell Knight. He was not only one of the best-loved BBC naturalists in the
1950 and 60s – and Britain’s greatest spymaster – but, as you point out in your post, a long-standing Fellow of the Linnean Society!
In the 12th century Bernard of Chartres emphasised how much we owe to our predecessors and used the metaphor of “dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants” (Latin:
*nanos gigantum humeris insidentes*). How true that is in respect of Maxwell Knight and other early pioneers in the field of natural history, many of them Fellows of the
Linnean Society.
Bravo!
John and Margaret Cooper
. On Fri, 25 Oct 2019 at 12:24, The Frightened Face of Nature (FFON) wrote:
> Simon H King posted: “I’m thrilled to be an elected Fellow of The Linnean > Society of London. “The Linnean Society of London is the world’s oldest > active biological society. Founded in 1788 by Sir James Edward Smith > (1759–1828), who was its first President. The Society takes” >
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Thank you, both. It’s been a wonderful adventure.
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