British Ecological Society

The British Ecological Society (BES) supports the ecological research and education communities to ensure that they remain vibrant and productive, thus generating new knowledge, skilled people and a greater appreciation of the science of ecology in the wider community.

The BES, founded in 1913, was the first ecological society in the world. The Society's original objective was 'to promote and foster the study of Ecology in its widest sense' and this remains the central theme guiding its activities today. The Society has almost 4000 members of which 14% are students. It has always had an international membership and currently 38% are outside the United Kingdom, in a total of 92 countries.

Publication of scientific journals remains a principal activity. The Journal of Ecology was first published in 1913 in time for the inaugural meeting of the BES, followed by Journal of Animal Ecology (1932), Journal of Applied Ecology (1964) and Functional Ecology (1987). These four primary journals publish research conducted across the globe and they are at the forefront of developments in ecology. Members can subscribe to these journals at a low cost.

The Society also runs several major scientific meetings for ecologists each year. The Annual Meeting currently attracts 700 delegates each year, and provides the opportunity for ecologists to present papers and posters on a wide variety of topics; an important element has always been the active participation of research students. There is an increasing number of delegates from overseas, principally Europe. It is Europe’s largest annual meeting of ecologists. Since 1960 the Society has run an Annual Symposium and published a volume of its papers. It supports a range of other specialist meetings, workshops, training events and field meetings.

The Society’s mission is: "To promote the science of ecology worldwide"

To achieve this the Society:

* Supports and publishes ecological research,
* Encourages communication and collaboration among ecologists,
* Fosters the teaching and learning of ecology, and
* Influences policy and practice