At a meeting of the Linnean Scoiety on 2nd May 2008, Tercentenary Coordinator, Dr Jenny Edmonds FLS, presented a review of the Linnaean Tercentenary year.
2007 marked the Tercentenary of the birth of the great Swedish Naturalist Carl Linnaeus, whose library and biological collections have been in the Society’s keeping since 1829. The Linnean Society organised a year long series of scientific meetings, events, exhibitions and numerous publications in celebration of the anniversary. A dedicated section of the website highlighted events held worldwide, many held in collaboration with the Society.
The Tercentenary Coordinator, Dr Jenny Edmonds, FLS gave a beautifully-illustrated presentation on the year’s events at an evening meeting of the Linnean Society. Planning for the Tercentenary began in January 2002, and the programme was developed over the next four years. The Society launched its own celebrations on the 6th December 2006, in the presence of HE Mr Staffan Carlsson, Swedish Ambassador to the UK. Dr Edmunds, representing the Society, traveled to Växjö in Southern Sweden for the launch of the Swedish Linnaean Tercentenary celebrations in early January.
Jenny Edmonds’ stimulating talk encapsulated all the many events that took place during the year. In May, the Society hosted two royal events with the visits to the Society by their Majesties the King and Queen of Sweden and their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan to meet with Fellows and to review the Society’s projects. His Majesty the Emperor of Japan delivered the keynote address to the Society on "Linné and Taxonomy in Japan". Additional highlights of the 2007 programme included the Society’s major scientific meetings, the award-winning Chelsea Flower Show exhibit, the award-winning publication of Order out of Chaos, the launch of its digitised collections, and the many social events for the Society’s Fellows and guests. Many Anglo-Swedish celebrations were also included with highlights from the Anglo-Swedish symposium in Uppsala, the Linnean Society excursion to Gotland and the conclusion of the Swedish Tercentenary celebrations in at the ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi. The Society concluded its extremely successful and enjoyable tercentenary year with the admission of HRH The Princess Royal as an Honorary Member of the Society and the presentation of Linnean Tercentenary Silver Medal for outstanding communication of natural history and the biological sciences to Sir David Attenborough CBE, Hon FLS, FRS, CH, Professor Steve Jones FLS and Professor Edward O. Wilson FMLS, ForMemRS.
Jenny Edmonds concluded her presentation by thanking everyone who had contributed to these events and which made the year a truly memorable one for the Linnean Society and succeeded in re-emphasising the importance of Linnaeus’ work and its relevance today and for future systematic and biodiversity studies. The President, Professor David Cutler, thanked Jenny for her outstanding contribution to the Society for bringing the Linnaean Tercentenary to a successful conclusion and presented her with flowers.
The President then continued the meeting by reading the citations and presenting the Linnaean Tercentenary Bronze Medals in recognition of significant help provided to the Society during the 2007 Linnaean Tercentenary. The medals were awarded to Ms Gina Douglas FLS, Dr Jenny Edmonds FLS, Professor Carl-Olof Jacobsen FLS, Professor Bengt Jonsell FLS, Dr Martyn Rix FLS, Mr Nigel Rowland FLS, and Ms Elaine Shaughnessy FLS.
Following the presentations, a reception was held in the Library for Fellows and guests.