Bob Ellis retires as BSBI Project Officer

Pete (in shorts), Bob (in hat) & NFG members 

It's the end of an era!

Over to BSBI Scientific Officer Pete Stroh to tell us why:

"I’m sure many of you know Bob Ellis as sage botanist, County Recorder for East Norfolk and all-round top bloke, but you might not be aware that he recently retired from his ‘day job’ as BSBI's Project Officer. 

Bob at the helm

This was a role that involved a multitude of tasks, including supporting recorders with MapMate and managing major projects such as:

Change in the British Flora 1987-2004 (Braithwaite, Ellis & Preston, 2007), and 

The Threatened Plants Project, due to be published next month as Threatened Plants in Britain & Ireland." 

[Ed.: more about this next month, including an exclusive interview with Dr Kevin Walker, BSBI Head of Science and lead author on Threatened Plants in Britain & Ireland.]

Bob and his Kestrel

Back to Pete: "Thanks to past, present and future Presidents of the Society, BSBI staff and members of the Norfolk Flora Group (NFG), I was able to surprise Bob yesterday, after an NFG meeting for Atlas 2020 recording, with his retirement present – a clay-moulded, hand-painted model by Karen Fawcett of a male Kestrel, complete with pewter talons and mouse (!).

"Not only is Bob a brilliant botanist, but more importantly he is one of the nicest people I know, and although we’ll miss him, as Bob’s still a County Recorder, fortunately we’ll still see him at regular events, and I continue to have an excuse to travel occasionally to Norfolk and botanise with him and his fellow expert NFG members. 

"Did I mention they bring along cake and visit a local pub after meetings? That’s my kind of botany group!"

Mine too Pete and many thanks for this note about Bob. It's been a pleasure to work with him as Secretary of BSBI's Recording & Research Committee, as well as in all his other roles. I'm sure you will all join me and Pete in wishing Bob all the very best in his retirement, but we look forward to continuing to hear from him in his role as County Recorder for East Norfolk.

Pete gives Bob his retirement present