Jean Balfour

Jean Balfour (fl. 1949-2015) is a Scottish professional forester, landowner and conservationist.

Early life and education

She earned her B.S. with honours from the University of Edinburgh in 1949. She married John Charles Balfour in 1950.^[1][2]

Career and research

Balfour is a partner/owner of Balbirnie Home Farms and Balbirnie Dairy Farm. The Scourie estate is also owned by her.^[3] Balfour is interested in arctic alpine vegetation and has taken part in many botanical expeditions including Greenland, Ellsemere Island, Spitzbergen, Franz Joseph Land, Novaya Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya, and arctic Siberia to collect field data. Her data has been used in collaboration with other professors on papers involving population dynamics and impact of changing climate conditions. In 1984 she wrote A New Look at the Northern Ireland Countryside (1984) which listed many recommendations for restructuring legislation regarding nature conservation and countryside management. Many of her suggestions were taken into considerations and implemented. She was the Chair of Countryside Commission for Scotland from 1972-1983. During the years of 1983-1985 she worked at Chieftain Industries. From 1999 to now she was the Chair at Loch Duart Ltd an independent salmon farm and the largest local employer from 1999 to 2008. She helped publish The Rising Tide regarding women in traditionally male-dominated fields.^[1][2]

Public appointments

• Governor of East Scotland College of Architecture for 30 years
• Member Scottish Agriculture Development Council 1972-1977
• Nature Conservancy Council 1973-1980
• Vice-Chairman Scottish Wildlife Trust 1968-1972
• West Sutherland Fisheries Trust 1996-
• Chairman Seafish Industry Authority
• Deputy Chair of Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology (1993-1994)

Awards

• Commander of Order of British Empire 1981
• Order of Falcon (1994)
• Institute of Chartered Foresters Medal (1996)
• Honorary Doctorates from University of St Andrews and University of Stirling
• Fellow Institute of Chartered Foresters, Royal Society of Arts, Royal Society of Edinburgh, Royal Zoological Society for Scotland, Institute of Biology, Royal Science Geographical Society

References