Lee Raye

What was the state of nature in Britain and Ireland 500 years ago? Lee Raye studies medieval and early modern descriptions of flora and fauna to find out. They are also interested in how people's perceptions of wildlife and wildflowers have changed over the years, particularly when the species in question have gone extinct.

Lee Raye obtained their PhD from Cardiff University for their project on 'The Forgotten Beasts of Medieval Britain' (the lynx, beaver, crane and right whale). Since obtaining their doctoral degree they have been working on projects to translate Robert Sibbald's (1684) natural history 'Scotia Illustrata', and to provide an Atlas showing the local distribution of wildlife across Britain and Ireland in the early modern period. They are currently employed as an Associate Lecturer at the Open University where they teach the Arts and Humanities, especially History, Literature, Philosophy and Religious Studies.

Lee's Atlas of Early Modern Wildlife is due to be published by Pelagic Publishing in July 2023.