As the rain falls and new life flushes our wonderful landscapes a rich green colour, one special life has left our landscape. Here’s to Strider, an inspirational thinker, environmental activist, outspoken and quirky character and a friend to many.
I hope some of his incredible love for our native landscapes, plant knowledge and social justice lives on with others.
His detailed observations of changing seasons and ecological nuances of his home and the land he cared for underlined an in depth relationship that others can only aspire to. He was always dedicated to learning about the place we live and trying to protect it with a lust for life and people.

May your onward journey be smooth and our landscapes continue to have people that connect with them and protect them and share their wonder with others.

Here’s to those who inspire and do not always conform.

 

Strider acquainted me with numerous Top End plants and stories to go with them, he really was my first teacher of our amazing landscapes here in the Top End. I spent a lot of time in his company walking our landscapes with him, discussing, listening and enjoyed his insight and passion into life. I, as many others, were blessed to have his time and stories and observations. I hold with me some of these and hope I can remember them. I have so much respect that he stood up for what he believed in, and was never bent in to conform in certain ways that  many of us do; he observed so much with great intent. 

I was recently working with Strider to produce an article about observations and recent fire on his (Land for Wildlife) block which had not previously been purposefully burnt since 1979 to go into the Land for Wildlife Newsletter. I visited him regularly as he became unwell at the solar village, but amongst dinners and other conversations not all the details of the fire story are yet complete, but I will try my best for our upcoming newsletter and leave you with a couple more of the photos that were taken for the article and a few pearls of wisdom. 

Emma, Land for Wildlife Coordinator