John Berry

John Berry, CBE DL FRSE (5 August 1907 – 19 February 2002) was a Scottish zoologist and ecologist. He was the first Director of the Nature Conservancy (UK) for Scotland (1949 to 1967). He was the youngest and longest served Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh during the 20th century. Life He was born on 5 August 1907, the son of William Berry of Tayfield, an advocate in Edinburgh. His father instilled in him a love of nature conservation and especially bird protection. His mother died in his early youth and he was largely raised by aunts. He had brittle bones and dyslexia. John was sent to boarding school, being educated at Eton College in England, and then continuing on to Trinity College, Cambridge before receiving a PhD at St Andrews University. At Cambridge he shared accommodation (and a love of birds) with Peter Scott, later to become one of Britain's most loved ornithologists. During this time Berry was nicknamed ’’’Gooseberry’’’, due to his love and knowledge of geese. In 1936 he married fellow ornithologist, Bride Fremantle.