Professor Emeritus Des Thompson FRSE
Leverhulme Emeritus Fellow, University of the Highlands and Islands
With more than 30 years’ experience working in government agencies, Des was the Principal Adviser on Biodiversity and Science with NatureScot, Scotland’s Nature Agency. He worked closely with the Scottish Government devising the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy 2022-2045, and its Delivery Plan. Now a Leverhulme Emeritus Fellow with the UHI North, West and Hebrides his interests include the conservation ecology of north European shorebirds, upland ecosystems, and science-policy biodiversity decision making. He advises the UN on climate and biodiversity issues as Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) COP-Appointed Scientific Councillor for Climate Change, and a member of the Technical Advisory Group supporting the conservation of migratory birds of prey in Africa and Eurasia (founder chair for ten years), member of the Scottish Government’s Biodiversity Programme Advisory Group, and Vice President (and former Chair of the Board of Trustees) of the Field Studies Council. He has published widely, took his PhD and DSc from the University of Nottingham, and hails from the small village of Culrain in Sutherland.
Fellowship list
Involved in
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Resources
Scotland faces a growing nature crisis. Why urgent political leadership and public action are needed to restore biodiversity.
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Four experts argue that the UK must shift from treating nature as expendable to recognising it as our life support system. Drawing on recent climate warnings, they outline why transformational, nature-centred change is essential for resilient food systems, healthier communities, and a secure future.
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Who wins and who loses when we decide how Scotland’s land is used?
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A new UN report highlights how climate change is reshaping the lives of whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Experts call for urgent action.
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Reflections on the RSE's islands, past, present and future series engaging with local communities on issues of importance to them
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The Spring/Summer 2025 edition of ReSourcE explores what the future holds for Scotland's rural environments.
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Scotland is demanding so many uses from its land that conflicts are inevitable. This piece offers a means of trying to resolve the conflicts.
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Our climate is changing, and biodiversity is in decline. Scotland has declared nature and climate emergencies, but are these being tackled collectively and urgently?
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Our panel explore how science is working towards creating better barley to meet the challenges of food security and environmental change.
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Resources
The Spring 2023 edition of ReSourcE focuses primarily on biodiversity – why it's under threat, why it matters, and what can be done to tackle the biodiversity crisis. From the latest scientific research to innovative conservation projects and policy initiatives across a range of sectors, we look at the current state of biodiversity in Scotland, the UK and internationally, and the efforts being made to protect it.
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Advice Papers
The Policy in practice: How Scotland can get it right report brings together the work of three RSE-convened workgroups focused on the economy, the environment, and social inclusion and cohesion. It looks not only at what Scotland might choose to prioritise, but also at how policy can be done differently - how decisions are made, how trade-offs are handled, and how people can be more meaningfully involved in shaping change
