Wildlife Works has established a memorial fund in the name of Rob Dodson, our long time Head of African Operations, who passed away suddenly and tragically from natural causes. Rob was a big part of the heart and soul of Wildlife Works, having been with the company since 2001, and having managed our Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project, in Kenya since its beginning.  Rob was a great man, an inspirational leader, a loving husband and father, a passionate conservationist, a story teller extraordinaire, and an adventurer without equal. He is survived by his wife Lore Defrancq and their two beautiful girls, ages 10 months and 2 years.

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We hope the memorial fund will help Lore to continue Rob’s work in conservation and provide a secure future for her girls. We ask you to join us in supporting Lore and the kids by contributing anything you can.

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For us, Rob Dodson was the living embodiment of Wildlife Works’ vision, a man who loved every living thing, a caring man with a big heart who understood the challenges the people of the Kasigau community faced, and the importance that we do everything in our power to help that community to meet those challenges as we work together to protect the wildlife that is their natural heritage.

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Rob was always there to listen to the community’s needs, to give his support to their ideas to roll up his sleeves and work hard alongside them to make their dreams come true, and to celebrate with them life’s sweet victories.

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But Rob’s legacy stretches far beyond the Kasigau community, as the model he built there is now influencing similar projects all over the world. From the Congo to Cambodia we are working to ensure a future for all the world’s rural communities, by protecting forests to protect our climate for future generations. Rob was truly a global ambassador for wildlife, forests and communities.

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Rob was also a fortunate man, who met Lore the love of his life while living in the bush with the elephants and buffalo. Rob cherished every moment he could spend with her and with their two beautiful children. His family share his passion for his work, and we thank them for sharing Rob with us for all these years.

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Perhaps one of Rob’s most enduring legacies is the incredible team of people he leaves behind to continue his life’s work. Rob was a strong leader, and an incredible mentor for the Wildlife Works team in Kenya. These Kenyan men and women are infused with Rob’s strength and spirit, they shared many challenges and many triumphs with Rob, and through it all he always saw the funny side of life.

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And that is how we will always remember Rob Dodson, with an enormous grin on his face because of all the beauty in his heart. His spirit infused everything he did and everyone he met, it poured out from his beaming smile and his booming voice, and left everyone the better for having met him.

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Our heart goes out to Lore and the girls, Rob’s extended family and to all who knew him and whose lives were touched by him. We will celebrate his life loudly as he would truly want, and we will rededicate ourselves to honoring his memory by carrying on his life's work.

The Wildlife Works Team

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Read our founder Mike Korchinsky's tribute to his dear friend here.