CONSERVATIONIST LEE DURRELL SPEAKS AT SCIENCE FESTIVAL
The Edinburgh International Science Festival announced an exciting new
addition to the 2009 programme today. In association with Edinburgh
Zoo, Lee Durrell, conservationist, author and wife of the late, great
Gerald Durrell, will be speaking at the science Festival on Saturday
11th April.
Fifty years after Gerald Durrell started his animal sanctuary in
Jersey, Lee reviews the many achievements of the Trust in its mission
to save species from extinction, from its work with island fauna around
the world to its international training programme for conservation
practitioners. She examines how the Trust intends to meet the many
challenges facing species conservation over the next 50 years.
Lee was always fascinated by animal communication and conducted
research for her PhD on the calls of mammals and birds in the forests
of Madagascar. She met Gerald Durrell, founder of the Jersey Wildlife
Preservation Trust and Jersey Zoo, during one of his lecture tours in
America, and they married in 1979.
Lee and Gerry wrote books and presented several television series
together, basing the series on the books or vice versa. These included
'Ark on the Move', 'The Amateur Naturalist' and 'Durrell in Russia'.
Sadly, Gerry died, aged 70, in January 1995.
Lee succeeded him as
Honorary Director of the Trust, which was re-named the Durrell Wildlife
Conservation Trust and maintains a deep interest in the Trust's work
both in Jersey and overseas, playing an important role as ambassador
and fund-raiser.
Lee will be speaking at the George Square Theatre at 7.00pm on Saturday
11th April as part of the Talking Science strand of the 21st Edinburgh
International Science Festival. The Festival runs from 4th to 18th
April, offering over 170 events in 26 venues across the city. To find
full details of the programme, and to book tickets, call 0131 553 0322
or visit www.sciencefestival.co.uk .
- Log in to post comments