In Memoriam: Craig Tufts

Craig Tufts, who passed away in June 2009, was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Colombia from 1971 to 1973. He worked as a conservationist in Magdalena and Cundinamarca. His Peace Corps project activities included work with sea turtles.

Later he worked at the National Wildlife Federation for 33 years where he became the Chief Naturalist. He helped lead the development and expansion of the Federation’s programs including the Backyard Wildlife Habitat program. He authored The Backyard Naturalist and (with Peter Loewer) The National Wildlife Federation’s Guide To Gardening For Wildlife. He also led nature and gardening courses at 25 NWF Summits. Other books that Craig helped with include: Field Guide to Spiders and Related Species of North America, and Field Guide to Birds of North America. His colleagues said,

“Craig was the person we went to with any questions about plants, insects, birds or other wildlife species we wanted to identify or know something about. His love for nature inspired so many, and his patience and general desire to teach people about wildlife was beautiful. “Craig made learning about wildlife fun. He could turn what seemed like the most trivial leaf into an incredibly interesting and complicated subject. He inspired people to look at the world around them with new eyes and notice how intricate and meaningful nature is, whether it is the most basic leaf or rarest bird.”

In honor of Craig and his family’s wishes, the National Wildlife Federation has established the Craig Tufts Volunteer Education Fund to recognize individuals who share his passion for understanding, appreciating and connecting others with the natural world. More information can be obtained from the National Wildlife Federation, nwf.org.