Remembering John Salehe: Tribute to a conservation champion

John was a was a highly respected and dedicated advocate for the environment, and his passing is a terrible blow to conservation in Tanzania, and indeed Africa. A trained forester, he had more than 40 years of experience working with various organizations in Tanzania including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and African Wildlife Foundation (AWF). He also worked with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), implementing various regional projects in East Africa.

John was a strong advocate of community conservation, and the role of the youth in conservation. He mentored many youths in wildlife conservation, forestry and climate change. He was also the board chair of several conservation initiatives in the country including Tanzania Association of Foresters (TAF), Chakwetu Trust, Tanzania Forest Conservation Grroup (TFCG), and Community Wildlife Management Area Consortium (CWMAC) among others.

John Salehe has left a lasting impression in Tanzania’s conservation space: Emmanuel Mgimwa, Executive Director of Nature Tanzania eulogizes him:

“John was not just a leader; he was the guiding light of our organization. His presence brought invaluable strength, wisdom, and direction to Nature Tanzania. He will be remembered every time we look to the skies and see the birds he fought so hard to protect. We will remember him in the thriving forests, the restored landscapes, and the communities empowered by his vision.”

Having worked closely with John, Werner Schroder from Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) remembers him:

“John Salehe played a vital role in the founding and development of Nature Tanzania. Nature Tanzania was his “baby”, and he was deeply committed to it. It was an honour for me to accompany him during the founding of Nature Tanzania and to learn from him. We are grateful for his dedication and the legacy he has left. Nature Tanzania will continue to develop in the spirit of your vision.”

John was instrumental in advancing the efforts of the BirdLife Partnership in East Africa, Dr Kariuki Ndang’ang’a, Regional Director for Africa at BirdLife International remembers him:

‘‘John will be fondly remembered as a key pillar of Nature Tanzania, and the BirdLife Partnership in East Africa. His passion for nature, determination, energy, and charismatic leadership will be sorely missed. The conservation community in Tanzania, and East Africa, has been made much poorer by this untimely loss.”

The conservation movement in Tanzania has suffered a great loss, but John’s love for nature legacy lives on. Nature Tanzania and many others will continue the fight to save nature in his memory. Soar with the eagles John, your spirit lives on in every heart you touched.

Header image: John Salehe handing a motorcycle to rangers in Makao WMA, to support their monitoring activities © Nature Tanzania

“John was not just a leader; he was the guiding light of our organization. His presence brought invaluable strength, wisdom, and direction to Nature Tanzania. He will be remembered every time we look to the skies and see the birds he fought so hard to protect.”

Emmanuel Mgimwa, Executive Director of Nature Tanzania