Hugh Falconer was born on 29th February 1808.  
This year, Hugh is going to be 200, or 50 if you count the Leap Years.

Join in the celebrations by taking part in the various events which will be held throughout the year.

First of all how about sending Hugh a birthday card.

Simply design a card using the some of the following facts about Hugh and send it in to us at The Falconer Museum, Tolbooth Street, Forres.

The cards will be displayed in The Falconer Museum and the best card will be judged by members of the Friends of The Falconer Museum.  The competition is open to schoolchildren.

The winner will receive an MP3 player and an exclusive Falconer Museum Tee Shirt.

Some Facts about Hugh

• Hugh was born in Forres
  
• His family stayed in Tolbooth Street
  
• His father was a merchant and his mother was a seamstress
  
• He was the youngest of seven children
  
• He went to the Forres Grammar School
  
• Hugh was educated at Aberdeen and Edinburgh Universities
  
• Most of Hugh's working life was spent in India
  
• In 1830 he got a job as an Assistant Surgeon with the East India Company and then was sent to Bengal in India
  
• Within a year he was appointed the Superintendent of the Saharanpur Gardens
  
• Hugh collected lots of fossils from the Siwalik Hills in India
  
• Hugh discovered bones of crocodiles, tortoises and other animals
  
• One of his most import finds was that of a giant mastodon, a type of extinct elephant
  
• Hugh introduced China tea to India
  
• Hugh was an assistant surgeon with the East India Company
  
• Hugh was a geologist which involves the study of rocks, soil and gemstones
  
• Hugh was a botanist which involves the study of plants
  
• Hugh exchanged letters with Charles Darwin
  
• Hugh was Vice President of the Royal Society in London
  
• There is an avenue of trees named after him at the Botanic Gardens
  
• His work greatly influenced Darwin who wrote ‘On the Origin of Species’.
  
• The plant ‘Rhododendron falconeri’, was named after him by Joseph Dalton Hooker
  
• On his death he left £500 towards building the Falconer Museum as well as part of his collection
  of Sewalik fossils to be displayed there.
  

The winners of the competition are:-

5-12 age group - Jenny Mitchell of Dallas Primary School

13- 17 age group - Hannah Rossiter and Kirstin McGrath of Forres Academy