Last week we lost one of the most influential conservationists of our time, Dr. Kathy MacKinnon. Many of those working in nature conservation in Indonesia would have crossed paths with her or at least would have heard of her. Spending 10 years in Indonesia during the 1980’s, she contributed to conservation planning which triggered the designation of a number of protected areas. As a global advocate of area-based conservation measures, she had been very supportive of the Hutan Harapan Ecosystem Restoration Concession which was initiated as a means to conserve biodiversity outside Indonesia’s protected area network.
We are saddened by the sudden loss of Dr. Kathy MacKinnon. As an organization, Burung Indonesia would like to express our gratitude and respect for her contribution to nature conservation in Indonesia during her life time. She was a global leader in nature conservation, yet we worked with her for many site-based conservation initiatives. From Sangihe Talaud islands in northern Sulawesi during 1990’s to Hutan Harapan in Sumatra in the early 2000’s.
Thank you our dearest Ibu Kathy, for being part of our journey.