Tõnu Viik was elected an Honorary Member of the Estonian Naturalists' Society

Tiia Lillemaa | 3.11.2014

On October 30th 2014, Tõnu Viik from Tartu Observatory was elected an Honorary Meber of the Estonian Naturalists’ Society. 

Tõnu Viik

During 2008 – 2014, he was a president of the Estonian Naturalists’ Society. He has promoted the natural sciences through articles, public lectures, excursions, instruction of students, writing books, administrative work, etc for decades. 

Only persons over 50 years of age, who have distinguished services in the development of natural sciences or who, through their long-time and productive activities have provided great services to the Estonian Naturalists’ Society, can be elected as honorary members. 

The presidents of ENS have been Carl Eduard von Liphardt, Karl Ernst von Baer, Edmund August Russow, Nikolai Ivanovitš Kuznetsov, Johannes Piiper, Paul Kogermann, Theodor Lippmaa, Eerik Kumari, Hans Trass, Erast Parmasto.

Academic Jaan Einasto from Tartu Observatory have also been elected the Honorary Member of ENS.

The Estonian Naturalists’ Society was founded on 10 October 1853. It is the oldest continually operating scientific society in the Baltic States.

The main purpose of the Estonian Naturalists’ Society is to integrate professional and amateur scientists, and people interested in nature, with the purpose of aiding the study of Estonian nature, furthering environmental preservation and education in Estonia, and popularising results of scientific research. The Society’s network of trustees all over Estonia allows conducting observations and the application of collected data in scientific research. The Society’s primary work formats are organizing scientific studies, conferences, seminars and discussions, tours and nature observations, and carrying out projects for studying nature and on environmental education. The Society publishes both scientific and popular science books, as well as periodical publications, one of the purposes of which is to develop Estonian-language terminology.