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Meet the world’s first ecologist



Meet the world’s first ecologist

July 18, 2019

July 18 2019 marks 299 years since the birth of Gilbert White, widely hailed as perhaps the world’s first ecologist. But, who was Gilbert White and why is he so important in our understanding of the natural world?

Like many well-to-do gentlemen of the 18th century, Gilbert White was a diarist who chronicled his day to day experiences. But, rather than commenting on the political goings on of the age, he turned his gaze to the landscape surrounding his home in Selborne, a village just in the northern boundary of the South Downs National Park.

His lifetime of observations, recorded as letters to botanists and naturalists, was published as The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne in 1789.

Through his wanderings around Selborne and his garden, he took the time to look at the mechanics of nature and the creatures he observed. For instance, the earth worm, once regarded as a pest by farmers and villagers, was transformed by White’s words into a noble creature that played a vital role in the cleaning and maintenance of soil.

The book, which has been in print since first published over 200 years ago, was massively influential on a young Charles Darwin, who made a pilgrimage to Selborne to better understand the landscape that inspired his idol.

Gilbert White’s House and Gardens, located in Selborne, is open to the public all year round. They will be celebrating Gilbert White’s birthday this Saturday with a day of family activities, including games, crafts and lots of celebrating.

‘The Invitation to Selborne’ by Gilbert White

The closing section

“Me far above the rest Selbornian scenes,
The pendent forests, and the mountain greens,
Strike with delight; there spreads the distant view,
That gradual fades till sunk in misty blue:
Here Nature hangs her slopy woods to sight,
Rills purl between and dart a quivering light.”