Farewell to a field biologist

Last weekend our community lost a great friend, Jon A. Stravers, Jr.While traveling from his home in Idaho to visit family in Iowa, Jon and his young son, Jonah, died in a collision with a drunk driver in northeastern Colorado.

Jon was a widely known and loved individual. For nearly twenty years, he worked as a traveling field biologist and environmental educator across the western United States. Many of us will remember Jon as an outstanding field naturalist, with an amazing ability to see and hear the nature around him; a patient and encouraging teacher, who taught scores of aspiring biologists the skills of field ecology; a talented musician, who brought a heap of joy to every field camp; and a wild and outgoing soul, who welcomed people from every corner of our society to share in his love of the natural world. He will be sorely missed.

There will be a memorial ceremony for Jon and Jonah in Jonah’s hometown of Pella, Iowa on Saturday, 8 September. The event is still being planned; if you would like more information on the event, feel free to write me at tdmeehan@nullentomology.wisc.edu.

Best wishes,

Tim Meehan, University of Wisconsin