Sir John Lister-Kaye is a distinguished English naturalist, conservationist, and author renowned for his contributions to nature writing and environmental education. Born in 1946, he has authored eleven books, including the best-selling "Song of the Rolling Earth" (2003) and its sequel, "Nature’s Child" (2004). His acclaimed work "Gods of the Morning" (2015) earned the inaugural Richard Jefferies Prize for nature writing, while "The Dun Cow Rib, A Very Natural Childhood" (2017) explores his early connection to the natural world. Lister-Kaye’s writings reflect his deep engagement with wildlife and conservation, blending personal narrative with ecological insight.
With a career spanning over four decades, Lister-Kaye has held prominent roles in environmental organizations, including serving as the first Chairman of Scottish Natural Heritage for the Highlands & Islands and President of the Scottish Wildlife Trust. His expertise has taken him across the globe, leading expeditions to remote wilderness areas such as the Kalahari Desert, the Amazon basin, and the Arctic pack ice. In recognition of his conservation efforts, he was awarded an OBE in 2003 and the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s Geddes Medal in 2016. Since 1970, he has directed the Aigas Field Centre, a pioneering environmental education facility in the Scottish Highlands, where he also oversees a Scottish Wildcat breeding program.