Festival signs up widow of Gerald Durrell

Published on Tuesday 10 March 2009 08:41

THE widow of conservationist and author Gerald Durrell is to speak at this year's Edinburgh International Science Festival.

Fifty years after Gerald Durrell started his animal sanctuary in Jersey, Lee Durrell will review the many achievements of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in its mission to save species from extinction.

She will also speak about how the trust intends to meet the many challenges facing species conservation over the next 50 years.

She met Gerald Durrell, founder of the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust and Jersey Zoo, during one of his lecture tours in America, and they married in 1979.

Lee and Gerry wrote books and presented several television series together, including Ark on the Move, The Amateur Naturalist and Durrell in Russia.

Gerry died, aged 70, in January 1995, and Lee succeeded him as honorary director of the trust.

Lee will be speaking at the George Square Theatre at 7pm on Saturday, April 11.