In Memoriam. Garth Owen-Smith 1944-2020.

The ISFMI team is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Garth Owen-Smith on April 11 2020 in Namibia. Garth was known as a giant of conservation in Namibia, having worked tirelessly with others to place communities at the forefront of conservation, and building the foundations of Namibia’s community based natural resource management programme. Garth was a co-founder of IRDNC and the winner of several environmental prizes, including the Goldman Environmental Prize and the 2015 Prince William Lifetime Conservation Award.

What is perhaps lesser known is that Garth, with his partner Margaret Jacobsohn, were early champions of Indigenous Fire Management in Southern Africa, through their work with IRDNC with communities in the Caprivi-Zambezi region of north east Namibia. Their insights about the relevance of the Australian experience to Southern Africa were instrumental in informing the ideas that led to the establishment of the ISFMI. It was our great pleasure to host Garth and Margaret as they visited fire projects in the north of Australia, and to be hosted by them over many campfires, as we travelled through Namibia, exchanging fire knowledge between Australian Indigenous rangers and local San communities.

Garth may have left us but he leaves a legacy that will, that must, only grow. Our thoughts with Margaret and the IRDNC team at this time.