The Architect of Nature Conservation: Max Nicholson's Archive

The Nicholson Archive was donated as part of the Linnean Society’s effort to capture records from a pioneering time in the field of Nature Conservation. It mostly consists of the working files of Edward Max Nicholson, a respected environmentalist, ornithologist and architect of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Nicholson was born in 1904 in Kilternan, Ireland, and his interest in nature began early in his life. After attending Oxford University he published a number of books, mostly on birds and, in 1932, he helped to found the British Trust for Ornithology.

Nicholson was very involved in the conservation community with friends and correspondents spanning from the management of organisations and reserves in numerous countries to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. His connections helped him to bring like-minded individuals together making him instrumental in the foundation of several organisations, many of which are still running and are important contributors to conservation work to this day. These include:

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) which Nicholson helped found in 1948 with then Director General of UNESCO, Julian Huxley.

The Nature Conservancy through which he worked with the International Biological Programme.

The WWF which Nicholson helped to found with Sir Peter Scott, Guy Mountfort and Victor Stolan. One letter describes Nicholson as “the architect of WWF”.

The Trust for Urban Ecology in 1976, which set up Britain’s first Urban Ecology Park.

All of these correspondents and organisations are reflected in the wide breadth of material preserved in these working files. The Linnean Society also holds separate papers relating to some of the people and organisations that feature in Nicholsons files, including IUCN and Richard Fitter which are currently in the process of being catalogued, and the Nature Conservancy.

Nicholson was often invited as a guest speaker or contributor to conferences, schools, and events relating to conservation efforts. Along with his vast correspondence he saved conference papers, participant information and even copies of his papers and speeches.

In Nicholson’s later years he began to sort through his papers and find homes for them. He had previously worked with the then Librarian of the Linnean Society, Gina Douglas FLS (honoris causa) as part of the International Biological Programme's conservation section, and the Trust for Urban Ecology. He also knew the Society's Treasurer, Gren Lucas FLS through his work with IUCN and WWF. So, when his conservation paperwork had no obvious home, it was decided that the papers would come to the Linnean Society Archive.

The collection has been a popular edition to our archive, even before it was catalogued as part of our push to make our Nature Conservation material more accessible to the public. It shines a light on a long and purposeful career with Nicholson’s humour and dedication visible throughout.

Written by Archivist Alex Milne and Honorary Archivist Gina Douglas FLS