Verona Margaret Conway (13 January 1910 – 19 December 1986) was a British

plant ecologist Plant ecology is a subdiscipline of ecology which studies the distribution and abundance (ecology), abundance of plants, the effects of environmental factors upon the abundance of plants, and the interactions among and between plants and other ...

and Unitarian minister. She undertook international recognised research on the palaeoecology of the Pennines and the ecology of ''

Cladium mariscus ''Cladium mariscus'' is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by the common names swamp sawgrass, great fen-sedge, saw-sedge or sawtooth sedge. Previously it was known as elk sedge. It is native of temperate Europe and Asia wher ...

''.

Early life and education

Conway was born on 13 January 1910 in Didsbury,

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

. Her father held the chair of Latin at the

University of Manchester , mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity , established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univ ...

. Margaret Mary Hall, her mother, studied Classics at

Newnham College Newnham College is a women's constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1871 by a group organising Lectures for Ladies, members of which included philosopher Henry Sidgwick and suffragist campaigner Millice ...

. Conway went to school in Manchester, before studying Natural Sciences at the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...

, with a Part II in

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

. After completing her undergraduate degree, she was awarded the Yarrow Research Scholarship at

Girton College Girton College is one of the Colleges of the University of Cambridge, 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. The college was established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon as the first women's college in Cambridge. In 1 ...

from 1933 to 1936. Her doctoral supervisor was

Harry Godwin Sir Harry Godwin, FRS (9 May 1901 – 12 August 1985) was a prominent English botanist and ecologist of the 20th century. He is considered to be an influential peatland scientist, who coined the phrase "peat archives" in 1981. He had a long ass ...

. She was awarded her PhD in 1937, with a dissertation entitled ''Studies in the autecology of Cladium mariscus R.Br''. Her work was published in ''

New Phytologist ''New Phytologist'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published on behalf of the New Phytologist Foundation by Wiley-Blackwell. It was founded in 1902 by botanist Arthur Tansley, who served as editor until 1931. Topics covered ''New Phytolo ...

.''

Scientific career

From 1936 to 1939, Conway was a demonstrator and assistant lecturer in botany at

Westfield College Westfield College was a small college situated in Hampstead, London, from 1882 to 1989. It was the first college to aim to educate women for University of London degrees from its opening. The college originally admitted only women as students and ...

. From 1939 to 1941, during

the Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

, she was a volunteer ambulance driver in London. She then obtained a position in the Botany Department at the

University of Sheffield , mottoeng = To discover the causes of things , established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions: – Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield , type = Pu ...

, where she investigated the bogs on the nearby Hallam Moors. She spent a year abroad studying the bogs of central

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

with funding from the American Association of University Women. After two more years at Sheffield University, she obtained a position at the

Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Nat ...

. In 1955, she was appointed director of Merlewood Research Station. Conway was described as one of plant ecology's "ablest and most clear-thinking workers." She was noted as a teacher, and taught the leading ecologist

Derek Ratcliffe Derek Almey Ratcliffe (9 July 1929 – 23 May 2005) was one of the most significant British nature conservationists of the 20th century. He was Chief Scientist for the Nature Conservancy Council at the Monks Wood Experimental Station, Abbots Rip ...

. In 1982 she was elected as an Honorary Member of the

British Ecological Society The British Ecological Society is a learned society in the field of ecology that was founded in 1913. It is the oldest ecological society in the world. The Society's original objective was "to promote and foster the study of Ecology in its widest ...

Later career

Conway left science in 1961, and became a Unitarian Church minister in Lancaster. She retired in 1973. Conway died on 19 December 1986.

Selected publications

* Conway, Verona M. 1936. Studies in the autecology of Cladium mariscus R. Br. I. Structure and development. '' The New Phytologist'' 35.3: 177–204. * Godwin, H. C. V. M., and Verona M. Conway. 1939. The ecology of a raised bog near Tregaron, Cardiganshire. '' The Journal of Ecology'': 313–359. * Conway, Verona M. 1948. Von Post's work on climatic rhythms. '' The New Phytologist'' 47.2: 220–237.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conway, Verona 1910 births 1986 deaths British women scientists People from Didsbury Alumni of Girton College, Cambridge British ecologists Women ecologists British women botanists