T. F. Bourdillon
Encyclopedia
Thomas Fulton Bourdillon (1849 – December 19, 1930) was Conservator of Forests in the princely state of Travancore
.
He came to Travancore (at present Southern Kerala) as a planter in 1871 and appointed by the Travancore Durbar in 1886 as special forest officer to explore the forests and to report on their resources. In 1891 he was appointed as Conservator of Forests till his retirement in June 1908. He was a keen botanist and an all round forest officer. During his period, he brought the Department to a high state of efficiency. His "Report on the Travancore forests" and his "Forest Trees on Travancore" are both valuable publications.
In 1908, he authored the first book on the trees of the region The Forest Trees of Travancore. In 1901 he was admitted a Fellow of the Linnean Society. He also wrote about bird life to Allan Octavian Hume
and contributed many articles on forestry to the Indian Forester. He worked in close association with other naturalists of his time including R. H. Beddome
and Harold S. Ferguson
.
Today there exists in Arienkavu
on the northern side of Shendurney valley a place called Bourdillon's Plot which was the location of the first plot where teak
was planted using stumps in 1891. This technique was developed to grow teak sustainably for the needs of the navy. This attempt to grow teak for the needs of the Royal Navy
was started by Mr. H. V. Conolly, the then Collector of Malabar.
The subspecies Great Eared-nightjar
Eurostopodus macrotis bourdilloni and the Blackbird Turdus merula bourdilloni are named after him.
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
.
He came to Travancore (at present Southern Kerala) as a planter in 1871 and appointed by the Travancore Durbar in 1886 as special forest officer to explore the forests and to report on their resources. In 1891 he was appointed as Conservator of Forests till his retirement in June 1908. He was a keen botanist and an all round forest officer. During his period, he brought the Department to a high state of efficiency. His "Report on the Travancore forests" and his "Forest Trees on Travancore" are both valuable publications.
In 1908, he authored the first book on the trees of the region The Forest Trees of Travancore. In 1901 he was admitted a Fellow of the Linnean Society. He also wrote about bird life to Allan Octavian Hume
Allan Octavian Hume
Allan Octavian Hume was a civil servant, political reformer and amateur ornithologist in British India. He was one of the founders of the Indian National Congress, a political party that was later to lead the Indian independence movement...
and contributed many articles on forestry to the Indian Forester. He worked in close association with other naturalists of his time including R. H. Beddome
Richard Henry Beddome
Colonel Richard Henry Beddome was a British military officer in India, chief conservator of the Madras Forest Department and a naturalist...
and Harold S. Ferguson
Harold S. Ferguson
Harold Stuart Ferguson M.B.E. was a Scottish zoologist.-Family:He was born in Park Street, near Grosvenor Square, London, the fourth child of Robert Ferguson and Mary Mcleod of Skye. His father was born in India, a close friend of Sir John Macpherson, Governor-General of India and Sir Walter Scott...
.
Today there exists in Arienkavu
Arienkavu
-Demographics: India census, Arienkavu had a population of 12125 with 5949 males and 6176 females....
on the northern side of Shendurney valley a place called Bourdillon's Plot which was the location of the first plot where teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
was planted using stumps in 1891. This technique was developed to grow teak sustainably for the needs of the navy. This attempt to grow teak for the needs of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
was started by Mr. H. V. Conolly, the then Collector of Malabar.
The subspecies Great Eared-nightjar
Great Eared-nightjar
The Great Eared Nightjar is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family. It is likely the largest member of its near cosmopolitan family, although a few species, such as the Lyre-tailed Nightjar and Swallow-tailed Nightjar reach a longer total length thanks to their long tail streamers...
Eurostopodus macrotis bourdilloni and the Blackbird Turdus merula bourdilloni are named after him.