Following a long and distinguished volunteer career as the Secretary of the Trinidad & Tobago Field Naturalist Club, Ian Lambie was nominated and subsequently elected to membership of the Board of Management of the Asa Wright Nature Centre by one of the Centre’s founders, Dr. Joseph Copeland.
Ian served as the Secretary to the Board in 1976 and at the Annual General Meeting of 1977, he was unanimously elected to the post of President on the nomination of the outgoing President, Dr.Copeland. His nomination was then seconded by the famous wildlife artist and another founder of the Centre, Don Eckleberry.
Over the course of his leadership at the Centre, Ian brought great value to the Centre by transforming it into one of the most desirable destinations for naturalists and birdwatchers from throughout the world. In the October 1999 Issue of Audubon magazine, the Asa Wright Nature Centre was identified as one of the finest Eco-Lodges in the world. The Asa Wright Nature Centre was also selected as the model for a UNDP-funded case study on “Eco-tourism as a Strategy for Sustainable Development.”
In January 1989, Ian was appointed Executive President and later, in November 1998, he left the board to be appointed to the newly created post of President/CEO of the organization, a post that he held until his retirement in 2001.
Ian has been the recipient of many awards including, in 1995, a National Award of Trinidad and Tobago, “The Hummingbird Medal – Gold “ in recognition of his work in Environmental Conservation.