The Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN) is deeply saddened to learn of the death of naturalist, conservationist, and former Trustee, Angus Lunn MBE.
Angus devoted his life to voluntary conservation in the UK, and his remarkable body of work touched countless lives while making an enormous difference for wildlife in the North East.
Spending most of his professional career in the Department of Adult Education at Newcastle University, Angus possessed prodigious knowledge of upland vegetation. Among his many achievements was the completion of his PhD in the 1950s on the importance of the Flow, or Border Mires as they are known in our region, particularly Butterburn Flow. He also produced the first vegetation map covering the whole of Northumberland and, based largely on his own tireless fieldwork, identified and mapped the sphagnum bogs in the west of the county.
Angus was among the first to recognise both the value of, and the threats to, the Border Mires in Northumberland and Cumbria and through his work with the Northumberland Wildlife Trust (NWT), he was instrumental in protecting these precious habitats for future generations. In recognition of his contributions, Angus received the Wildlife Trusts’ Christopher Cadbury Award in 2009 and was appointed MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2022.
Angus has worked tirelessly on engaging people with the natural world. As head of Adult Education at Newcastle University he instigated a new qualification: the Certificate in Nature Conservation. He was also a member of Northumberland National Park Committee for nine years and chairman of the Council for National Parks for 10 years. In 2004 Angus also published the New Naturalist Northumberland volume, a definitive natural history study of the county, and contributed to the George Swan’s Flora of Northumberland, published by NHSN in 1993.
To NHSN, Angus was a cherished tutor, trustee, mentor, and so much more. He served as an NHSN Trustee for 39 years, provided countless opportunities as Section Lead for botany. He taught his highly regarded Quaternary course annually, firstly at Newcastle University and then from 2013 to 2024 through the NHSN first in person and later, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, online via Zoom. His teaching inspired many to explore this fascinating period in Earth’s history. Angus ensured that the Quaternary course, based entirely on new research linked to climate change, continued an unbroken run of 62 years.
Through his work with NHSN, Angus published research, led countless field trips, and inspired a deep appreciation for the flora and fauna of North East England. Writing earlier in 2025, NHSN Member and Quaternary student for 30 years, Jenny Wigston, reflected:
“Angus’ fascination with the Quaternary led him to a lifetime of reading current scientific papers on the subject and then giving his students a potted synopsis of each topic. It has been a privilege to have this cutting-edge science brought to our attention. He has made us so much more aware of our landscapes, how they were formed and how great our climate change challenges are. Everything that happens brings feedback and consequences.”
Beyond NHSN, Angus made a herculean contribution to the work of Northumberland Wildlife Trust. He was among the original members of the Northumberland and Durham Naturalists’ Trust, founded in 1962, which later became Northumberland Wildlife Trust in 1971. Angus served as one of its vice-presidents, a Trustee, and Chair of its Conservation Committee for 35 years.
Angus will be remembered as a stalwart of natural history in our region, a pioneer, a strong voice for the natural world, and a man whose warm, humorous approach to complex subjects inspired countless people. His dedication to protecting nature and sharing his knowledge will be sorely missed by all at NHSN, and by the many whose lives and learning he enriched over the decades.
Angus has been a great supporter of NHSN for decades. He has been involved in developments as the NHSN has grown and actively supported our mission to inspire nature enthusiasts throughout the North East. Angus had encyclopaedic knowledge of natural history as demonstrated in his New Naturalist book “Northumberland” and he always shared his knowledge with enthusiasm and good humour. He has had a large input into organisations involved in protecting nature and certainly a huge impact on special places like the border mires, now benefitting from his campaigning for their recognition, resulting in their protected status; and always with a twinkle in his eye.
Gordon Port, NHSN Chair
An Evening with Angus Lunn
Recently, NHSN welcomed Angus to the ‘Hancock Museum’ for a special evening event, where he shared stories from his life and long career in conservation. Angus treated attendees to a superb evening, recounting his experiences in the same warm and humorous manner for which he will be so fondly remembered.
Talking Naturally
For more about Angus’ full and fascinating life, revisit a special episode of Talking Naturally below.