About Peter Scott
Sir Peter Markham Scott, CH, CBE, DSC & Bar, FRS, FZS was born in London in 1909 and died in 1989. He was an ornithologist, conservationist, painter, naval officer, broadcaster and sportsman.
He was the only child of the famous Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott and the sculptor Kathleen Bruce. Robert Scott passed away when Peter Scott was just two years old. His father wished for his son to become interested in natural history, which his mother then encouraged.
In 1946, Peter Scott established the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) and also helped found the World Wide Fund for Nature and designed their famous logo.
He took up various sporting activities too, such as sailing where he represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games winning a Bronze medal.
He also took up gliding and by 1963 he became a British Champion. In 1968/1969, he was the chairman of the British Gliding Association and was responsible for involving Prince Phillip in Gliding who is still patron of the BGA.
During the World War II, Peter Scott served in the Royal Navy as a Sub-Lieutenant where he served in Destroyers in the North Atlantic and later commanded a Squadron of steam Gun Boats in the English Channel and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for bravery.
He was later knighted in 1973 for his contribution to the conservation of wild animals and was also a recipient of the WWF Gold Medal and the J. Paul Getty Prize.