held a beautiful Anole lizard. He stroked the lizard
and to everyone’s astonishment it relaxed and lay flat
on its back in his hand. Someone from another table
remarked… ‘There’s the next David Attenborough.’
Later someone asked Duncan how he learned to
relax a lizard. He said he just tried it and it worked.
Another charming story that comes from Duncan’s
prep school involved a bit of creative mischief. He
natural historian drawn from the media or academe
as the School’s now well established Duncan Louis
Stewart Natural History Lecture. David Stewart says
that the role of the DLS lecture is to draw in and
interest those boys who aren’t natural members of
the NHS society. The Stewarts believe that ‘what
the Fellowship and lecture achieve is what matters;
and is what will best commemorate Duncan.’
Duncan wrote in his invitation letter to Sir David:
‘The Winchester College Natural History Society
aims to educate the boys about the extraordinary
biodiversity of Hampshire, southern England and
the world.’
woke a friend in the night and they quietly climbed
up to the third-floor dormitory and opened a
window. Duncan explained that they were going
to try to fool the bats. He tore up small pieces of
loo paper and let them go one by one out of the
window to simulate the flight of moths. The bats
performed just as he hoped and his friend was
suitably amazed – and the boys never got caught!
The aim of the Duncan Louis Stewart Fellowship
is to make the natural world relevant to all pupils,
in all areas of study. In other words, the fellowship
aims to encourage Wykehamists to observe, study,
comprehend and care about the natural world around
them, to attract and encourage polymathic thinking
and discussion around our shared natural world
and to see participation right across the school.
The Duncan Louis Stewart Natural History Fellow
will join the academic staff of the School and begin
working, most obviously, with the Art, Biology and
Geography departments but ultimately all departments,
to inspire in pupils a knowledge of and respect for
nature, ecology and the environment in the broadest
sense. This will include taught classes (including
Div) and lectures and the organisation of practical
excursions and expeditions. The Fellow will help
organise the annual lecture to be given by a renowned
The Wykeham Journal 2015 31