R. S. R. Fitter

R. S. R. Fitter

Richard Sidney Richmond Fitter (1 March 1913 – 3 September 2005) was a British naturalist and author. He was an expert on wild flowers and the author of several guides for amateur naturalists. His son Alastair Fitter is a professor of biology at the University of York and in 2002 they jointly authored a paper in Science analysing the changing phenology of plant flowering times due to global warming. He was also one of the leading figures in the international wildlife conservation movement, and for many years the Honorary Secretary of the Fauna Preservation Society (now Fauna and Flora International). Obituaries can be found in the Times (10 September 2005), Telegraph (6 September 2005), Guardian, Independent He was also involved in the search for the Loch Ness Monster, being a director of the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau.

The standard author abbreviation Fitter is used to indicate this individual as the author when citing a botanical name.