Death of Cary Institute senior scientist emeritus, Gary Lovett, viewed as major loss for science

MILLBROOK — For many of the readers who follow the forums at Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, the name of Gary M. Lovett may be familiar. His passing was shared by Cary President Josh Ginsberg, who made the announcement, saying: “It is with great sadness we share that Gary M. Lovett, forest ecologist and Senior Scientist Emeritus at Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, died on December 17, while skiing with friends in the Catskills.” His vast knowledge will be missed greatly.

He was a deeply valued member of the Cary community and had affiliations in many other communities, such as the Hubbard Brook research community, the Catskill Environmental Research and Monitoring (CERM) conference, and the Northeastern Ecosystem Research Cooperative. His sudden loss is felt by all who knew his probing mind, kind nature, and commitment to protecting the natural world, forests in particular.

“Gary quietly built strong collaborations, without ego, bringing together scientists to address complex ecological problems,” Ginsberg told the Millerton News. “Early in his career, he focused on the impact of pollution on forests. More recently, he moved out of the field and the lab, to the halls of Congress and to corporate boardrooms, to work towards better legislation and corporate action to reduce the accidental importation of forest pests, like the Asian long-horned beetle and Emerald ash borer that are devastating our forests. His work on what he coined ‘Tree-SMART Trade’ was creative, science-based and showed great promise. In his honor, we will continue this work.”

   Ginsberg went on to say: “We will continue to honor Gary’s legacy and work; details about a memorial are forthcoming. Our hearts go out to his wife, Janet, and daughter, Emma, and to the friends and colleagues who have sent an avalanche of love and condolences. Gary was a truly exceptional scientist, mentor, environmental advocate, and friend.”

Lovett was not just a scientist, but an advocate, as well; he worked with municipalities and the government, and he forged bonds with organizations that were nonprofit and had the same principles and desire to salvage the forests as he did. His willingness to work with others, to collaborate with those with like interests, allowed him to forge ahead with special projects such as his Tree-SMART Trade campaign, highlighting f actions to reduce the accidental importation of insects and diseases from international trade.

While Lovett is no longer with us, many of his papers and projects will live on. His writings on topics contained deep, scientific knowledge, but were always written with a light hand, a gentle touch and, often, with a sense of humor. More recent work can be found on the Cary website: “Beech Bark Disease,” written on July 1; “7 facts about the hemlock wooly adelgid”; and “Asian longhorned beetle: The beautiful insect devouring our trees.” These are only a few; there are many more,  short but packed with interesting facts and knowledge pertinent to the Dutchess County area and other rural sites. They are worth reading, and for his many friends, students and colleagues as well as Cary program-goers, will long provide a memory of this scientist too soon gone.