It all started with a pair of binoculars inherited from his father around his neck, a small notebook in his pocket and Björn Ursing's classic bird guide tucked under his arm. Henrik Smith decided at an early age to find out about things for himself and went exploring the pastures and spruce plantations around Vitaby in Österlen, eastern Skåne. His interest in nature was born. A few years later, in the 1960s, that interest was reinforced after he saw pictures of a dead wolf – the last in Sweden at that time – after it had been shot. It was a poignant experience. Studies in biology and research on starlings followed.
Biodiversity in a changing agricultural landscape
Nowadays, the professor of animal ecology has a list of achievements so long that only a fraction of it fits in the box accompanying this piece. Hundreds of research articles bear his name. Many of them focus on the effects of climate change and a changing agricultural landscape on biodiversity.
Henrik Smith has also made a significant contribution to the University's third-place in the QS Sustainability Ranking, including through his work with the Sustainability Forum. He is a member of the Swedish Climate Policy Council and has been awarded the Rosén Linnaeus Prize in Zoology, to name a few examples. And it is clear what drives him.
“Deep down, it is my environmental pathos. We have big societal problems that need to be solved, so I have approached things with a lot of commitment. The fact that I've been able to achieve things is down to having surrounded myself with such good people,” he says.
In the late 1990s, Henrik Smith built up a new type of environmental science education, in which the interdisciplinary approach became important. In this spirit, he also laid the foundations for what is now the Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC) at the University. Among other things, he set up the BECC research environment, focused on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and the Nature-based future solutions profile area.
The interdisciplinary approach and external engagement with the wider community are a common thread running through these initiatives.
“We need expertise from all areas to solve our challenges. When it comes to the climate and biodiversity, it is crucial that we look at them together in order to find workable solutions.
"The work we are doing here is very, very important”
The fact that the average global temperature is constantly breaking new records while biodiversity loss risks ending in a sixth mass extinction can, of course, cause the best of us to lose hope. But instead of losing hope, Henrik Smith is keener than ever to share his research findings and knowledge.
“We must have ambitious targets, that is the only reasonable course of action for the sake of our children and grandchildren. Every tenth of a degree and every endangered species that can be saved matters. I still look to nature for inspiration, and when I see a wonderful spot turned into a clearcut, it stings my soul. To me it is clearer than ever that the work we are doing here is very, very important.”
So, what is it that characterises Henrik Smith as a professional? Colleagues testify to his strategic ability, describing him as a visionary who “thinks incredibly quickly, manages to commit his thoughts to the page and is able to speak for his cause”. His capacity for multi-tasking. His compassion and his warm heart. Doing work at all reasonable and unreasonable hours.
And then there's the efficiency, exemplified in a dedicated “Smithsonian Dictionary”, compiled by his colleagues. A key for deciphering Henrik's emails that consist of a single letter, or perhaps an exclamation mark. (His most common single-letter responses are thought to mean yes, no, good/decision/budget and ok/maybe.)
His greatest satisfaction comes from having inspired many students, listening to colleagues and trying to create a collegial atmosphere. He is less satisfied with his inability to separate work and leisure.
He recharges in nature
“Let me put it like this – I'm hardly the person to come to if you want to chat about the latest blockbuster. Has the job been worth its price? I don't know. On the other hand, this is the result of emotionally engaging and extremely satisfying work. So, I also count myself lucky.”
Now that he has reached retirement age, Henrik is rounding off his official duties one by one. But he tirelessly continues to research and run projects and is currently involved in 22 different ones in the research portal. He recharges in nature, at his cottage on Linderödsåsen. He also loves spending time with his grandchildren, building Lego and taking them to the pond to look for water boatsmen and dragonfly larvae. Is there hope that any of them will follow in his footsteps in academia?
“Well, you never know. But one of the 11-year-old's biggest dreams is actually to see a wolf in real life!”