About the Author

Professor Ian Swingland was educated at Haberdashers' Aske's School, London, Edinburgh and Oxford Universities, and worked as a mathematician for Shell, as a biologist at Oxford, Edinburgh and with the Royal Society, and holds the Emeritus Chair in Conservation Biology at the University of Kent, where he founded The Durrell Institute for Conservation and Ecology (DICE), in addition to Visiting Chairs at the Universities of Michigan, Florence, Auckland, and Manchester Metropolitan. At London University he read zoology and social anthropology and published his first scientific paper in Nature in 1969 while an undergraduate. After working as a mathematician for Shell Research International for a short time he took a Ph.D. in ecology in the Forestry and Natural Resources Department at Edinburgh University on an FCO/ODA Scholarship. He was then employed as a research and management biologist in the Kafue National Park, Zambia helping to write the management plan. In 1974 he joined Oxford University Zoology Department and the Royal Society to work on the giant tortoises of Aldabra Atoll, Western Indian Ocean. Ian Swingland has worked on climate change for over a decade and with China and ADB since 2002 on China-GEF Country Planning Framework - Land Degradation in Dryland Ecosystems, He published a best-selling book 'Capturing Carbon and Conserving biodiversity; a market approach' and advised the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility, the Asian Development Bank, and Governments on conservation and biodiversity management setting up some of the largest projects in the world. A leading authority on commercialising the sustainable use of biodiversity assets, he was appointed Board Chairman of Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development in Guyana by the President, the Commonwealth and HRH The Prince of Wales.

Reviews

An inspiring story about an extraordinary ecologist that has changed the world for wildlife and people.Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, biodiversity scientist, entrepreneur and former President of Mauritius
An amazing man whose exploits have blazed the way for others.Tim Coles OBE, Operation Wallacea and Trust founder
Ian is a good friend of mine, deeply impressed by his intelligence, thoughtfulness, a first class and wide-ranging mind, happy to throw himself into a course of action if he believes it is of long term importance and underpinned by sound ethical principles. Sir Christopher Wates, construction, development, philanthropist
Ian was brilliant to work with in a tricky situation. He had loads of energy, gets stuff done, made decisions, pushed people but does not understand that humans sometime lie to get their way.Chris Mathias, entrepreneur, environmentalist, philanthropist
I have always admired Ian's energy and vision. The Institute founded by Ian Swingland, is a first class scientific and conservation organisation.Sir Ghillean Prance FRS, former Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, KewIan is a leading eclectic campaigning scientist in the world with great scientific integrity and personal passion achieving a considerable -eminence in the environmental world.Robin Hanbury-Tenison OBE, explorer, former President of Survival International, and Chief Executive of The Countryside Alliance
Some people have exciting and colourful lives, some people are good story tellers. Ian Swingland does both of these.John Craig ONZM, Emeritus Professor of Environmental Management, Auckland, conservation biologist and landscape ecologist
Ian Swingland has made a huge difference to conservation and training the leaders of tomorrow, forging essential links between conservation and economics. This is how to do it! Ian Redmond OBE, ape and elephant specialist and Ambassador, UN Convention on Migratory Species
The Law of the Wild will interest professional ecologists and amateur enthusiasts; it will appeal to anyone who loves animals and wildlife. It is fascinating, enthralling and worthy of entering the lists of 'can't bear to put it down' titles.Pat Crawford, journalist