African Wildlife & Environment Issue 81

ECO HERO

Professor E.O. Wilson in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. (Photo by Piotr Naskrecki)

PROFESSOR E.OWILSON 10/06/1929 - 26/12/2021

A tribute fromGorongosa National Park

Teammembers from the Gorongosa Project celebrate the life and legacy of Ed Wilson, the American biologist known as 'the modern-day Darwin' who passed away on Sunday, December 26, 2021 at age 92, and who was a guiding light in the restoration of Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique.

When Professor Edward O. Wilson first arrived in Gorongosa in 2011, he said to us, “Please, call me Ed.” At first, we were hesitant to be so informal with the man that we -and many others - considered to be the most important naturalist since Charles Darwin. But despite his iconic status, Ed was an egalitarian at heart, just 'a boy from Alabama' who grew up to become one of the most famous scientists in the world. Ed was the University Research Professor in Entomology (the study of insects) at Harvard University, and the world’s leading authority on ants. He authored 30 books and more than 300 scientific papers, and twice won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction. Along with a long list of other top awards and honours, he also received the National Medal of Science.

"It's always been a dream of mine, of exploring the living world, of classifying all the species and finding out what makes up the biosphere." -E.O.Wilson

Ed and Ranger Madeira collecting ants in Gorongosa National Park (Photo by Piotr Naskrecki)

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