He is a role model and an inspirational figure to ecologists across the UK and beyond and is well-deserving of the 2025 CIEEM Medal.
CIEEM
John Box CEcol CEnv FCIEEM (rtd) Awarded the 2025 CIEEM Medal
Article adapted from original CIEEM article.
The CIEEM Medal is the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management’s highest accolade and is awarded annually. Recipients of the Medal must have made an outstanding and/or lifelong contribution, in relation to ecology and environmental management.
Chartered Environmentalist and Chartered Ecologist, John Box, has made an outstanding and life-long contribution to advancing professional practice throughout his career. He has worked for the Freshwater Biological Association, the University of Sydney, Telford Development Corporation, Natural England, Wardell Armstrong, and AtkinsRéalis (formerly Atkins).
John’s belief in nature’s benefits to everyone has been a strong influence on his work including urban ecology, post-industrial ecology, statutory Local Nature Reserves, blue and green infrastructure, ecosystem services and tackling climate change. He has contributed significantly to insight, research and writing on habitat restoration, habitat creation and habitat translocation. John has given papers to national and international conferences and written over 20 blog posts and more than 130 technical and professional articles.
Throughout his career John pioneered and championed technical innovation. For example, as early as 2003 he implemented the first great crested newt mitigation licences which did not include the use of exclusion fencing but instead allowed great crested newts to use the development site whilst improving long term protection and management of the habitats on site. This innovative approach has since become a mainstay used by Natural England.
John was in the first cohort of successful CEnv applicants. Alongside 64 other professionals, he achieved CEnv registration on the 20th September 2004. To mark 20 years since the first CEnv registrants, he wrote a blog for the SocEnv website: CEnv at 20 blog | Tackling the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis
He is also a Fellow of CIWEM, a Fellow of the Linnean Society and an Honorary Fellow of the University of Wolverhampton.
When he found out he had been awarded the CIEEM Medal, John said:
I am deeply honoured to receive the prestigious CIEEM Medal. My career in ecology and environmental management has been a constant delight. I would like to acknowledge and celebrate the many people who have worked together to create the wonderful and stimulating profession that we have today.
