Conservationist Matson Receives Harper Adams Honorary Degree — SkimNews
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- Tullis Matson, founder of conservation charity Nature's SAFE, will receive an honorary degree from Harper Adams University as part of its 125th anniversary, calling it the 'highlight' of his year.
- Matson said the award is especially meaningful because he is 'very dyslexic' and left school at 16 'with no qualifications,' after being told he 'was going to be a failure.'
- Nature's SAFE has frozen cells from 200 endangered species — from African elephants to Scottish wildcats — in liquid nitrogen at –196°C, and stores biological samples from 400 species, some critically endangered or extinct in the wild.
- Harper Adams University is honouring seven people including comedian Ed Byrne and Archers actress Felicity Finch, with the graduation ceremony set for 16 September when Matson will also address graduating students.
- Other recipients include farmer Olly Harrison (YouTube farming channel), Co-Op director Christine Tacon CBE, Lincoln University NZ vice-chancellor professor Grant Edwards, and John O'Brien MBE (founder of leadership platform Anthropy).
Why it matters: Matson's path — from being written off as 'going to be a failure' at 16 to receiving an honorary degree — is a tangible counter-narrative for dyslexic and non-traditional learners. The recognition also spotlights cryogenic conservation at scale: Nature's SAFE now safeguards genetic material from 400 species, including some extinct in the wild.
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