Remembering Dr. Chris Pielou

Once in a while the earth is blessed with a special person.  Such a person was Dr. Chris Pielou who passed away recently in Comox.  I was fortunate to have met a Chris a few times; however my lasting memories of her will be whenever I think of the Arctic.  Her book A Naturalist’s Guide to the Arctic was my bible whenever I sojourned to Canada’s northern realms.  I remember one time in particular when I had just spent time watching a polar bear swim from ice floe to ice floe; I then read her narrative and it reminded me that these bears are of course maritime bears, not terrestrial bears. That learning has always stayed with me.

It takes many types of people to accomplish good things and to better the earth that we live on.  I thank Chris for doing both and leaving me with many fond memories.

Bob Peart
Executive Director, Sierra Club BC
July 2016

Read more about Dr. Pielou, her conservation work, and published books at her Wikipedia page or in her obituary in Tide Change.

Image appeared in Tide Change, Comox Valley