Well-known conservationist Andy Russell dies

CBC Radio, June 2

We will certainly miss him -- our wilderness elder.

He provided key seed-funding early on to kick-start offices and staffing for the Alberta conservation groups and had a profound impact on my career working for wilderness and wildlife. In 1978 or was it '79, he presented his Grizzly Country program at the Jubilee Auditorim in Calgary (posters on other info is/was on file at the AWA), with all proceeds going to the Alberta Wilderness Assoc and if I recall correctly, the other main conservation groups (National & Provincial Parks Assoc., now CPAWS and Sierra Club of Canada - Alberta Group, and Federation of Alberta Naturalists), or at least there was an agreement that together there would be money for a full-time staff position. The groups, along with the Great Divide Trail Assoc. jointly set up the Office of Environmental Coordinator, a part-time position answering to all five groups (and collaborating with the Fish & Game Assoc.), and the AWA set up their part-time Executive Director position. I was the one hired in Dec. 1979 to fill both. At the time there were only two non-government conservation staff positions in Alberta, Almer Kerr working part-time for the Fish & Game Assoc. and this new one -- thanks to Andy. The AWA annual budget when I took office was $10,000, and we were off and never looked back.

Dianne

Dianne Pachal, Sierra Club of Canada
Alberta Wilderness Director
Phone/Fax: (403) 234-7368
E-mail: dpachal at myexcel.ca