Have stability. If you believe that youre right, Jonathan taught me after one of our early workshops in Brazil not to be afraid to oppose someone. Granted it almost got me fired when I tried it later with a former TNC CEO– but it stands.
Brian Richter is president of Sustainable Waters and teaches water sustainability at the University of Virginia. He formerly acted as director of the Global Water Program of The Nature Conservancy
Colin Apse.
His Approach is a Model for My Career Going Forward.
Amy Newsock
He Audaciously Rewrote the Boundaries of Conservation
In 2010, when I ended up being TNCs director of science communications, among my tasks was to take control of modifying Science Chronicles, the old TNC Science newsletter. Chronicles was a scruffy little regular monthly, composed by TNC scientists for each other– but it was also read carefully by TNCs CEO and half the board and executive team for its sincerity on all matters TNC. The stakes were high, so I decided to liven things up.
My very first call was to Jonathan. We didnt know each other, but everybody knew about Jonathan– that he was an amusing, peevish rabble-rouser who constantly stated what was on his mind, especially when he was talking about or with TNC upper management.
A couple weeks later, Jonathan sent me a draft of his first column. It was well-argued (Jonathan was an outstanding writer). It was on point (about TNCs battles at the time in determining its successes). And, due to the fact that it was from Jonathan, it had three amusing passages about upper management that would get us both fired quickly were I to run them.
Jonathan had another track record at the time: He entered long, loud arguments over matters of principle. I called him and stated the passages needed to come out. There was a minute of silence; I braced for an approaching hurricane. Jonathan said: “Yeah, youre. Take em out.”
The amusing thing is– every column he sent me had multiple passages that would have gotten us fired. The list of Jonathans discontentments at TNC was extremely long, exceeded only by the ribald originality of his insults. I would point out the offending parts every time, and every time his response was similar: Yeah, youre right, take em out.
Eventually, I figured out what was taking place. Jonathan wasnt scared of being fired. Heres what terrified Jonathan: not making a difference when he had the chance. In his Chronicles columns, as in his life, he took big swings at the most significant issues; and provided the access to management I was providing him, he desired nothing obstructing of being heard.
Heres what I saw, as Jonathans editor and then his buddy: Truth and speaking it are habits; they are hard and you need to practice them; doing so is your responsibility as a researcher; and you must do whatever to ensure you are heard. If you see something, if you understand something, you must say something– and in a way that sticks.
Of all the lessons Jonathan taught me, I value this one of the most.
Mark Bryer is the director of the Chesapeake Bay program at The Nature Conservancy.
Mark Bryer.
Brilliant Scientist, Irreverent Provocateur, & & Deeply Caring Mentor.
I initially fulfilled Jonathan Higgins in 1996. He was one of my very first managers at TNC, and like no other I had prior to or certainly considering that. From day one, he was equal parts brilliant researcher, profane provocateur, and deeply caring coach.
Early on in our careers at TNC, Jonathan led a little group of us at TNC working to infuse freshwater into biodiversity conservation. The outcome– a quarter century since Jonathan started this work– are maps and descriptions of marine communities throughout six continents, and better representation and protection of freshwater biodiversity. Quite an achievement, and one of lots of that Jonathan helped make occur.
And while what Jonathan accomplished is definitely worth remembering, I think how he did it is similarly if not more crucial, and definitely more useful for each of us. Here are three lessons I gained from Jonathan:.
Jerry Touval
The Biggest of Hearts, & & One of the very best Scientists TNC Had
Jeffrey Parrish
Hig Fundamentally Changed the Course of TNC
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In 2018, as I headed into my 2nd cancer-related operation of the year clouded with anxiety, Jonathan Higgins was there for me.
“Hig” was various. The Hig was an accomplished preservation pianist, researcher, and writer.
I satisfied him while I was an intern at TNC over 2 decades back, and although he frightened me with his self-confidence, he quickly won me over with his determination to riff off the ridiculousness of the term “oyster spat” in a workshop setting. In 2010, I was speaking with him from his healthcare facility bed as he dealt with cancer– with him joking about his bedsores while counseling me on how finest to approach my upcoming clinical discussion. He coached me through one of the worst minutes of my life, and I am more powerful due to the fact that of him (and fortunately cancer-free).
I keep in mind, as do numerous others at TNC, viewing our colleague Paulo Petry and Hig strut around in their matching customized shirts in Cartagena, Colombia. Long was Higs battle with cancer that Brian Richter, his excellent buddy and our colleague, organized “Hig-fest” almost a decade back to make sure everyone who cared about him all got a possibility to say and commemorate bye-bye to Jonathan. When Hig called me out of the blue to talk in current years, it was typically about how to get freshwater biodiversity and undamaged ecosystem conservation back into the mainstream of TNCs work.
His approach, including his raw sincerity throughout TNC and the freshwater preservation movements downs and ups, is a model for my profession going forward. He was a coach all the way through. Our last interaction allowed me to be genuinely truthful as I texted him, “I love you, guy.”.
Conservation– particularly at The Nature Conservancy– used to be concentrated on lands. Jonathan Higgins assisted alter that to “lands and waters.”
Jonathan, who passed away at age 64 on July 24th after a long fight with cancer, was a worldwide acknowledged freshwater preservation ecologist whose science, advocacy, partnering, training, and mentorship over a 27-year career at TNC helped build the structure for the organizations international freshwater efforts.
Jonathans impact on TNC was and is extensive. His work catalyzed TNCs freshwater conservation planning around the world and built its freshwater science capacity, starting with The Great Lakes Program (the organizations very first local conservation program).
What the majority of people at TNC remember about Jonathan, though, was his outsized character: gruff, blunt, amusing, fantastic, tender, kind. To honor his achievements at the Conservancy, we asked eight former and current TNCers for short tributes to Jonathan the conservationist, the scientist and the coworker.
Jonathan read the aquatic ecology literature voraciously. He kept whatever– and in my very first months of working with him I marveled at how he never ever took notes but was all set to discuss even the finest details.
One such author was Jim Karr, a distinguished freshwater ecologist, who designed the Index of Biotic Integrity to determine the health of streams. It was discussions with Jim Karr that led to Jonathan articulating the 5 key-attribute structure for river integrity that has ended up being instilled in the Conservancys deal with freshwater preservation: environment, hydrologic program, water quality, connectivity and biotic structure (Higgins et al. 2021). These 5 key attributes have been my starting point for 27 years and I think will likewise be for many who never ever stop to wonder how that became.
Jeffrey Parrish is TNCs Global Managing Director for Protect Oceans, Lands and Water.
Enjoy yourself. Through our many trips worldwide, Jonathan revealed me the importance of striving and appreciating lifes finer things, like a glass of old port, the special noise of a Hammond B3 organ, or scorching hot Indian food
Bob Lalasz is founder and principal of Science+ Story and was TNCs director of science interactions from 2010-2015.
Mary Khoury is a freshwater ecologist with TNCs Center for Resilient Conservation Science, in our North America Region. She weathered 2 legal-sized pages of questions about freshwater ecology in her job interview to end up being Jonathans first hire in 1995.
Mary Khoury.
The Five Key-Attribute Framework for River Integrity.
Amy Newsock is a freshwater method consultant at The Nature Conservancy, working worldwide to support jobs deliver long lasting outcomes for nature and for individuals.
Jonathan Higgins and I spoke a lot and often throughout our 25+ year relationship. Primarily we spoke about music and TNC science, because order. Other huge subjects of conversation were fishing and the ethnic food of our shared Jewish heritage, particularly potato kugel, good bagels and lox, and Passover brisket.
Soon after we satisfied, we bonded over the music we both taken pleasure in, bands like the Grateful Dead and Little Feat. We were likewise both amateur artists; Hig a master keyboard gamer and me a journeyman steel guitar player. There were even some opportunities for us to do some jamming together and we went off on broad musical explorations thanks to his understanding and ability to play jazz and my ability to phony that I was in fact following along.
Hig was likewise a much better researcher than I am although that never ever stopped me from participating in energetic debates with him, arguments that he typically ended up winning. At TNC meetings we would enter into heated back-and-forth arguments. New TNC personnel participating in those meetings would kick back in silence and let the 2 of us have at it in public. And then they d constantly stand in awe when, hours later after the conference had concluded, the 2 of us would sit at the hotel bar laughing and switching stories about who had been to the better Dead performances in our youth.
Knowing that Hig was among the very best scientists TNC had, lots of times I went hat-in-hand to request for his assistance in resolving an especially confusing problem or procedure. He never ever hesitated to help, as he never thought twice to assist anybody at TNC who asked for his assistance. Curmudgeonly outside that he may have had, Hig had the biggest of hearts and was always offered to aid to colleagues who needed his help and assistance.
If the expression “speaking truth to power” could be personified, it was Hig. When he knew he was best about something (which was pretty much all of the time), he would not be reluctant in revealing his perspective to anybody at any level of hierarchy, within TNC or externally. He stated what required to be said and in most cases, we were all much better off for having heard his point of view on what was being gone over.
After I retired in January 2022, Hig and I spoke weekly. I d tell him about what I was doing in retirement and the music I was playing, and he d inform me about his latest fishing trip or the Passover meal his sis had actually prepared. We talked about what was taking place at TNC and who was doing what in the science world. And of course, he would tell me who was doing things right, and who was doing things wrong. When I had some health issues, he signed in with me frequently to see how I was doing, in spite of his own rapidly failing health. We continued talking right up till the week prior to his passing.
Hig was my honored coworker and my dear good friend. I will constantly believe of him when I hear Little Feat singing about Tucson, Tucumcari, Tehachapi, and Tonopah.
Brian Richter
Concerns That Came Like the Stinging Bite of Habanero Sauce
Colin Apse has actually been dealing with freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem preservation at TNC for over twenty years with the significant other of his career focused in the Africa Region, where he serves a Freshwater Conservation Director.
Jonathans impact on TNC was and is extensive. We didnt understand each other, however everyone understood about Jonathan– that he was a hilarious, cantankerous rabble-rouser who always said what was on his mind, specifically when he was talking about or with TNC upper management. The list of Jonathans dissatisfactions at TNC was really long, exceeded just by the ribald inventiveness of his insults. Early on in our careers at TNC, Jonathan led a small group of us at TNC working to infuse freshwater into biodiversity conservation. A personality test exposed that Jonathans first two hires at TNC (Mary Khoury and myself) were diametrically opposed from him in our analytical method.
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Although I had not worked directly with Jonathan for the past 15 years, Ive carried these lessons with me every day. He and I remained buddies and spoke frequently, often via the “out of the blue” call from Jonathan– the unscheduled, unintended kind that you constantly take. The call always started with a tirade (generally about a current decision made within TNC), then an obstacle (frequently a clinical problem he was battling with), and lastly a rave (typically about an exceptional gastronomic, musical, or fishing experience he d had).
And, as abruptly as it started, the call would end. Mid-sentence, Jonathan would cut you off and state “Got ta go– Ill talk at you later. Click.” I miss out on “getting Higged” as we called it– and him– awfully.
A character test exposed that Jonathans first two works with at TNC (Mary Khoury and myself) were diametrically opposed from him in our analytical method. That difference made us an excellent group, and I think about that every time Im forming a new team or employing somebody.
When of Jonathans long lasting contributions to freshwater science and conservation was his dedication to encouraging and elevating young conservationists and scientists. His commitment even survives on in his Environmental Conservation Fund at his alma mater, Grinnell College. I understand Im not alone when I say that one of Jonathans lots of legacies will be the lessons he taught and the echoing words of motivation he imparted in me and in numerous young experts and trainees who strive to make an impact on the freshwater world as meaningfully as he did.
I am grateful to have worked with several resolute associates at TNC who woke up every day to beat the drum for freshwater– calling on all of us to believe deliberately about fresh water. Jonathan beat that drum the loudest.
Jonathan pushed us to break down the borders of preservation as we understood it. He audaciously reworded them so our preservation future was more inclusive and deliberate about fresh water. Im a better and more committed conservationist thanks to him. Its his lifelong commitment to freshwater conservation that motivates a brighter future for me, all of us that were so fortunate to work with him, and for lots of who will enjoy the benefits of his service to freshwater in amazing places all over the world.
Bob Lalasz
Reality is a Habit
Hig lacked compare.
His knowledge and wit were as sharp as they come. His strong will and truthful directness might set some off balance but were always welcome in a world too loaded with pretense. He traveled the world as an advocate for its freshwater creatures.
He essentially changed the course of the worlds largest ecological company, The Nature Conservancy, using both his global-to-local science and conservation preparation acumen, along with his passion, to position freshwater front and center on our radar, and that of our partners. As an outcome, our objective and its expression were fundamentally changed for the better because of Hig.
He spoke truth to power. There wasnt an executive he was afraid of setting directly, but science was always his guidepost. That was the same valiancy he had as a kid marching for civil liberties with his mom in the streets of Chicago, and all through his illness, even dealing with his freshwater team until the day when his final decrease began.
Hig rolled up all that bravery, all that enthusiasm, and all that intelligence into a package with significant musical skills tickling the ivories, and with wicked abilities as a fisherman. Most notably, he had a heart for his friends as big as the Great Lakes, and the sweetest softness of an Appalachian stream in his soul for his one true love, Susan.
I miss you everyday, Hig.
Jerry Touval worked for The Nature Conservancys Latin America Region for 27 years as Colombia Country Program Director, Latin America Science Director, and Senior Advisor for Land and Water Protection.
Everyone understood he was fantastic. Often he wasnt really smart.
His radiance was far-reaching. Jonathan Higgins made enormous contributions to freshwater science. His work enabled us to see the complexity of the worlds rivers in a comprehensible method, classifying them into “types” and “classes.” But he was so much more than a taxonomist of rivers; conservationists would bring him questions of all sorts, knowing that if he didnt understand the answer right away you might trust that he d discover you a trustworthy one. As a highly appreciated mentor to numerous young scientists over the course of his long profession, his impact extends far beyond the horizon of his own lifetime.
Jonathan could also amaze others with piercing concerns of his own, questions that sometimes came like the stinging bite of habanero sauce. Most of us have our personality quirks and behavioral peculiarities rounded off over the course of our life times, but Hig would have none of that softening. He wrote an extremely popular column in TNCs internal science news entitled “Straight, No Chaser.”.
His Chicagoan brusqueness got him into problem routinely. We utilized to laugh aloud over the truth that I needed to save him from being fired on 4 events.
Higs close good friends understood that he had a soft and deep inner soul. One of my fondest memories of him will constantly be the method he might play piano. Long ago I got up the nerve to ask whether he d be willing to learn to play Joni Mitchells “River” for me.
Thank you, my dear Hig, for all of this. Please be kind to the angels: I wont be able to keep you from getting kicked out of heaven.
