Dr Clive M. Lovatt
Dr Clive Martin Lovatt Born in 1955, Died Tuesday afternoon, 1st March 2022. He did his doctoral thesis at the University of Bristol on the plant ecology of the Avon Gorge in 1983. He contributed records in the 1980s, mainly from the Avon Gorge, but also from Brislington Tip and elsewhere. In the Avon Gorge he recorded Senecio x albescens, made several vice-county records of Taraxacum and found Nit-grass (Gastridium ventricosum) to be more frequent then formerly believed. He completed a paper on the Rubi of the Avon Gorge for 1980. He is also a contributor to the University of Bristol Avon Gorge Project Reports. He briefly taught Biology at Wells Cathedral School before taking up accountancy and banking in South Africa. Until recently he was retired and the Vice County recorder of VC34 (West Gloucester).
Personal note:
I only knew him for about 7 months and met with him on only 3 botany meetings. We were however friends by email. He was a very similar character to me and was immensely impressed by my knowledge, describing me as a 'Polymath' and stated 'the breadth of your scope is exceptional for someone of your age. (I had guessed a decade or two older)'. He was working on a massive historical flora and had written many extensive biographies on past Bristol's Naturalists. A kind, generous person with a distinctive laugh and dry sense of humour. He very kindly bought me Stace's 4th edition as a Christmas present (£54 + £4.08 1st class postage) it arriving 2 days later!
