SEPTEMBER 2017 AMPHIBIAN SURVIVAL ALLIANCE NEWTSLETTER
Stories from our partners around the world
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Remembering George B. Rabb (1930-2017) Dear friends, Heartbroken. This is how members of the global amphibian conservation community, including the Amphibian Survival Alliance (ASA) and IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG), have been since learning that our dear mentor and supporter George Rabb has died. George was a passionate, committed and highly respected global conservationist, having significantly influenced zoos and a wide breadth of conservation issues covering many taxonomic groups. However, when it comes to amphibians, George has left a larger-than-life footprint. It was George’s vision that there be an international entity to address amphibian declines, which led to the creation of the Declining Amphibian Population Task Force (DAPTF) during his tenure as IUCN Species Survival Commission Chair. The DAPTF later amalgamated with the Global Amphibian Specialist Group (GASG) to form today’s ASG. An early proponent and architect of the ASA, George has been absolutely instrumental in the development of the ASA from its inception to its current form, where he was a key
member of the ASA’s Global Council. We would not be where we are today in global amphibian conservation had it not been for George. Characterized not only by his sharpness and brilliance, but also by his modest and unassuming disposition, his generosity, and his complete and utter devotion and concern for the well-being of amphibians, George was an example to all of us. Although George is no longer among us, he is not lost to us. We will remember George, and his legacy will continue through the efforts of each and every individual whose lives he touched. That theme is evident in the outpouring of responses from those in the conservation community and beyond. It is up to us to ensure that his life’s work and his legacy continue beyond our own lifetime, and that when future generations hear about George Rabb, may a sense of awe
and gratitude grace their own days and inspire them to continue in his footsteps. Ariadne Angulo Interim Executive Director Amphibian Survival Alliance