Janet Kear OBE, 1933–2004

Janet Kear, who was President of the BOU from 1990 to 1994, was one of the most inspirational ornithologists of her generation. Born in 1933, she was educated at Walthamstow Hall in Sevenoaks, Kent, Caspar Junior College in Wyoming and King's College, London. Her postgraduate work was done at Girton College, Cambridge, under the supervision of R.A. Hinde and her PhD on the feeding of finches was awarded in 1959. In the same year she was recruited by Peter Scott to join the Wildfowl Trust, where her first husband, Geoffrey Matthews, was assistant research director. She enjoyed a remarkably fruitful and happy relationship with the Trust that lasted all her working life. Even if her activities had been confined to the Trust, she would be a memorable figure in the world of ornithology. She began her work at the Trust as a research scientist and became its Principal Scientific Officer and Avicultural coordinator. During the course of this work she helped to save the Hawaiian Goose (the Nene) Branta sandvicensis through a carefully planned breeding programme and subsequently, with A.J. Berger as co-author, wrote a monograph on the species. Her career might have taken a different direction in 1977 when she became curator of the Martin Mere reserve in Lancashire (where she met her dearly loved second husband, John Turner, himself a seasoned bird ringer). In fact she continued to produce more monographs and a steady flow of scientific papers as well as throwing herself with gusto into the more practical aspects of running a reserve. In 1988 she became Assistant Director of the Trust and, in 1991, Director of its centres. She retired to Devon in 1993. During her career she influenced many young people, some of whom have subsequently risen to the top in ornithology and conservation, of whom Mike Moser and Tony Fox were perhaps the closest to her. As her work became known, her services were in demand outside the Trust. Janet herself felt that her greatest contribution to the world outside the Wildfowl Trust was to the British Ornithologists’ Union. From 1980 to 1988, she was Editor of Ibis. It was a difficult period that coincided with the withdrawal of support services previously freely given by the universities. Because of Janet's superbly directed hard work and common sense, Ibis emerged stronger at the end of her period as Editor. Janet edited the BOU's checklist series from late 1996 until her death, seeing six titles to press and a further two well on the way to publication. She was the BOU's Vice President from 1988 to 1990 and its President from 1990 to 1994. That Janet was the first woman president of the BOU seems irrelevant although during her term of office she had to deal with many difficult, masculine personalities. In 1998 at the International Ornithological Congress in Durban she was presented with the Union Medal for services to ornithology. Rarely has the award been more fully deserved. Other councils on which Janet served included the Council of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour, the Avicultural Society, the British Trust for Ornithology, the RSPB, the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust and English Nature, the last of these for a rare three terms. From 1982 to 1998 she served on the committee of the International Ornithological Congress and was the vice-president for its 1998 meeting in Durban. At the time of her death she was a serving Trustee of WWT and the National Museums Liverpool. In all of these roles she made a splendid contribution. Her interests were so widespread that she was equally at home with zoo people – Gerald Durrell like Peter Scott was an early inspiration, aviculturalists, museum people or ornithologists of all varieties from the academic to the field worker volunteer. In 1993, she was awarded the OBE. It might be assumed that such a busy working life would have precluded any publication other than routine reports. Far from it: in her lifetime she published five books and co-authored two others. Of these, Man and Wildfowl (1990), a superb account of the interaction from medieval times of humans with ducks, geese and swans, is a memorable book. She also published over 90 scientific papers. A sixth book was in press when she died. Ducks, Geese and Swans, scheduled for publication by Oxford University Press in spring, 2005, will be her lasting memorial. This is a massive two-volume work involving in the region of 75 authors; it covers all the wildfowl of the world, which only someone with Janet's drive and persuasive powers could have achieved. Thanks to the efforts of OUP, final bound proofs were in her hands on her last day. Janet was a marvellous communicator. Those who heard it, will not forget her lecture on the use of duck decoys, a device imported from Holland in the 17th century, whereby ducks were lured into net traps by dogs. Her last paper was to have been given to a joint meeting of the BOU and the Linnaean Society in early November. Appropriately, its subject was the wildfowl of New Zealand. Before her illness, Janet and John had contemplated moving to New Zealand where her brother lived. Another project on which Janet had been working for many years was a life of St Werburgh, a 7th century Mercian princess. Like Janet, St Werburgh had an affinity with geese and in Chester Cathedral there is a window dedicated to her in which she is portrayed ‘preaching’ to them. To Janet's amusement the species of goose being addressed is the Canada Goose Branta canadensis, a species that did not reach England until the 17th century. Janet's childhood had been far from happy. Her mother died when she was a year old and she was brought up by an elder sister and by a succession of other less permanent members of the household. Her move to America as a teenager was driven by a need to escape from Sevenoaks. She once told me that Wyoming had instilled in her a love of open spaces. I now realize she was being partly ironic. At any rate, she chose to return to England from the USA and we were all enriched by this decision. We will miss her greatly. She is survived by her husband John Turner. Janet Kear: OBE 1993; b 13 January 1933 in London; died 24 November 2004 in South Molton, Devon. Educated Walthamstow Hall, Sevenoaks; Caspar Junior College, Wyoming. BSc King's College London, PhD Girton College, Cambridge. Hon Fellowship, Manchester Metropolitan University, 1983; Hon Doctorate (and title Professor), Liverpool John Moores University, 1990. Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust: 1959–93. Fellow, Zoology Department, Liverpool University 1978–92. Council English Nature 1990–99. Department of Environment Wildlife Inspector; DoE's Scientific Authority for Animals 1977–81. Council Association for Animal Behaviour 1965–76 (Sec. 1966–73); Council Avicultural Society 1975–77; Council BTO 1983–86; Zoo Federation Breeding and Conservation subcommittee 1974–83; Council RSPB 1995–2001; Chairman IUCN Endangered Waterfowl Group (1976–87), Captive Breeding Specialist Group 1979–92; Council Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust 1994–2003; Council BOU 1980–94 (President 1990–94). Trustee WWT 2000–04; Trustee National Museums Liverpool 1997–2004. Publications: Eric Hosking's Wildfowl (1985), The Mute Swan (1989), Man and Wildfowl (1990), Swans (1990), Ducks of the World (1991). Editor Ibis 1980–88, Wildfowl 1989–2001; over 90 scientific papers. To be published in spring 2005, Ducks, Geese and Swans.

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