What term describes the early kind of biologists that made and recorded observations about organisms in natures

From the 3rd until the 11th century, biology was essentially an Arab science. Although the Arabic scholars themselves were not great innovators, they discovered the works of such men as Aristotle and Galen, translated those works into Arabic, studied them, and wrote commentaries about them.

The term being referred to in this item is the naturalist. They study the natural environment. They generally have a broad studied things with broader range of interest than the particular specialty. Some of them may not have the proper training and do not hold a degree; however, they appreciate nature.