WELL known conservationist, Wally Menne, suffered a brain aneurysm and passed away suddenly last Thursday, 26 October.
Wally Menne was a true eco-warrior in that he never hesitated to speak up against the ongoing destruction of our country’s ecosystems and the resulting loss of biodiversity.
So often when an ecosystem was badly compromised there were people who were not in a position to protest their loss and Wally, who felt very deeply about such injustices, had no fear in speaking truth to power.
He didn’t need popularity but did need to know that others knew the truth. His love for our indigenous plants helped him build up an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of species, subspecies and rare plants and most importantly, the habitats where they grew and thrived.
From the seeds and other plant material that he collected he propagated many thousands of our plants for his nursery.
The obvious pleasure he had when discussing plants with people was infectious and there are many who attribute their life supporting indigenous gardens to his advice and enthusiasm.
Time would mean nothing when he was answering questions important for someone else’s understanding of our earth’s interconnectedness with the living and the non-living and how this in turn supported our tenure here on this planet.
With a couple of hundred indigenous plants for display and for sale in the Botanical Gardens years ago, Wally started what was to become the annual Indigenous Plant Sale that made new plants for the garden available to enthusiasts.
He showed many of us the beauty and fascination of a forest and tried to sort out the meaning in people’s minds of “forest” and as opposed to “plantation”.
There are many of us who are going to miss our interesting and challenging discussions with all the in-between laughs and we are going to miss his friendship and support, but we carry on. Hamba Kahle Eco Warrior, Hamba Kahle!
Menne is survived by his partner Rosemary Williams and three sons, Verdan, Robus and Adam.
