John J. Lynch a biologist, botanist, and preservationist, specializing in the wetlands and migratory birds. Born October 17, 1914 in Newport, Rhode Island, he was the son of John Michael Lynch and Honora Elizabeth Fenton of Ireland. He obtained his biology degree from Rhode Island College, and had his first assignments working for the United States Biological Survey, later becoming the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. These assignments included the National Waterfowl Refuge in South Dakota, the North Atlantic Coast, and the Gulf Coast in Pilottown, Louisiana. In 1941, he married Mary Zoe Segrera and the couple moved to Abbeville, Louisiana; they had six children together.

Lynch joined the U.S. Navy in 1943, obtaining the rank of lieutenant. His main task was teaching survival procedures for downed Navy airmen. In 1947, after retiring from the Navy, Lynch received a pilot’s license and became a flyway biologist. This entailed surveying the migratory patterns of waterfowl such as geese, brant, and swans. Some of his most important work included the study, recovery, and preservation of Whooping Cranes. He helped rescue surviving cranes in Louisiana and even hatched the first Whooping Crane egg in captivity.

In 1955, Lynch and his family moved the Lafayette, Louisiana, where he joined the Biology department at University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette). He taught on coastal marshes and worked as an advisor to graduate students. He continued to run surveys on Whooping Crane habits in the Canadian Arctic and other waterfowl in the Arctic, North American, and Asia. He also pursued many horticulturist activities, especially with regards to Louisiana orchids.

Lynch received several honors during his career. These include the Preservation of Endangered Wildlife in North America Award, the Louisiana Wildlife Federation Professional Conservation Award, and the Whooping Crane Conservation Association Honor Award. He died on August 20, 1983 in Lafayette and is buried at Calvary Cemetery.