on Tue, 18 May 2021 by Simon Stuart (not verified)
With the passing of Lee Talbot, it feels as if an era has come to an end. He was the last person who worked with the visionaries who founded what became the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC). In the early 1950s, the SSC wanted to know what was happening to the conservation of species across the globe, especially in the tropics. This was a different world from now. Information was hard to come by and did not flow quickly or easily. So the SSC commissioned a young ecologist, Lee Talbot, to travel to some of the most important wildlife havens in the world to find out what was happening to the species, and how effective conservation measures were. Though few people know it today, the information he collected, and the reports that he wrote provided the factual underpinning on which the modern worldwide conservation movement was built. A decade or so ago, Lee and I had a a discussion in the Cosmos Club in Washington DC at which we came up with the idea that he revisit some of the sites he had visited in the 1950s, and report back on how things had changed in the intervening 60+ years. He was keen on the idea, and we even toyed with the idea of of getting a major media company involved. But unfortunately both of us were too busy to turn this idea into reality - a shame, because hearing Lee talking about the progress of conservation in particular places over many decades would have been absolutely fascinating.
My good friend Russ Mittermeier has written a perfect summary of Lee above which captures the essence of the man. He was very courteous in an old-fashioned sort of way, and yet he spoke his mind, often with great humour. And Marty was always at his side - they were the perfect team. Lee always seemed so healthy, and so his passing came as a surprise to me and many others, even despite his long life. Thanks Lee for modelling humble leadership. You never sought attention for yourself - your focus was on the conservation cause itself. What an example!
The enormous contribution of Lee Talbot
With the passing of Lee Talbot, it feels as if an era has come to an end. He was the last person who worked with the visionaries who founded what became the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC). In the early 1950s, the SSC wanted to know what was happening to the conservation of species across the globe, especially in the tropics. This was a different world from now. Information was hard to come by and did not flow quickly or easily. So the SSC commissioned a young ecologist, Lee Talbot, to travel to some of the most important wildlife havens in the world to find out what was happening to the species, and how effective conservation measures were. Though few people know it today, the information he collected, and the reports that he wrote provided the factual underpinning on which the modern worldwide conservation movement was built. A decade or so ago, Lee and I had a a discussion in the Cosmos Club in Washington DC at which we came up with the idea that he revisit some of the sites he had visited in the 1950s, and report back on how things had changed in the intervening 60+ years. He was keen on the idea, and we even toyed with the idea of of getting a major media company involved. But unfortunately both of us were too busy to turn this idea into reality - a shame, because hearing Lee talking about the progress of conservation in particular places over many decades would have been absolutely fascinating.
My good friend Russ Mittermeier has written a perfect summary of Lee above which captures the essence of the man. He was very courteous in an old-fashioned sort of way, and yet he spoke his mind, often with great humour. And Marty was always at his side - they were the perfect team. Lee always seemed so healthy, and so his passing came as a surprise to me and many others, even despite his long life. Thanks Lee for modelling humble leadership. You never sought attention for yourself - your focus was on the conservation cause itself. What an example!