Edward O. Wilson who died on Dec. 26, 2021 at the age of 92, was an extraordinary scholar in every sense of the word. By the time I met him in 1982, he'd made great contributions to science. For example, he discovered the chemical means by which ants communicate. He worked out the importance of the habitat size and position in protecting animals.
In 1982 I cautiously sat down next to the great man during a break at a small conference on social insects. He turned, extended his hand and said, "Hi, I'm Ed Wilson. I don't believe we've met. "Then we talked until it was time to get back to the meeting. Three hours later I approached him again. He turned, extended his hand and said, "Hi, I'm Ed Wilson. I don't believe we've met. "
Wilson forgot me but remained friendly. I was fresh out of graduate school, while Wilson was already very famous. Yet he didn't hesitate to extend his hand to me, not once but twice.
My work studying native plants and insects was inspired by Wilson's descriptions of biodiversity. His 1992book, The Diversity of Life, became the basis for an eventual tum in my career path. Throughout his career, Wilson communicated the urgent need to preserve the natural world. As I see it, the only way to realize Wilson's lifelong wish is to bury the idea that humans are here and nature is someplace else. Providing a practical plan for protecting the earth has been my goal for the last 20 years, and I'm honored that it mixes with Wilson's thought.
