We’re very pleased to announce that Professor Andrew Balmford FRS has won the inaugural Royal Society Environment Medal and Lecture for outstanding and sustained work in environmental science.

The award recognises Andrew’s 'groundbreaking contributions to conservation science, having built transformative partnerships and redefining the landscape of conservation education.’

Andrew’s reaction, in his words, ‘boils down to shock, delight, and being pleased for the Department, which has supported me for almost my entire career, for the profile it gives to the Student Conference on Conservation Science, and for the recognition of the young field of conservation science.’

Prof Rebecca Kilner, our Head of Department said, 'Andrew has played an instrumental role in developing this field both internationally and here in Cambridge.  I am delighted to see him honoured in this way.'

With Professor Rhys Green, Andrew established the Conservation Science Group based here in the Department of Zoology and in the neighbouring Cambridge Conservation Initiative. 

Together with Rhys and with Rosie Trevelyan (Tropical Biology Association) Andrew set up the annual Student Conference on Conservation Science, which over 25 years has brought together more than 4,000 young researchers from over 140 countries.

One of the highlights of his career has been the many extraordinary people he’s worked with.  ‘They’ve taught me how wonderful the natural world is, how little any one of us knows, and how much progress we can make if we work together.’