by Gregory McCann on 7 April 2021
Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, Michael “Elmo” Drilling had a career in conservation that took him across the world.
From the jungles of Indonesia to the swamps Mindanao in the Philippines and beyond, he specialized in agroforestry–a farming technique that increases farmer resiliency and biodiversity while sequestering carbon–by incorporating woody perennials like trees into farms.
He died suddenly in January 2021 at the age of 66 doing what he loved best, working outdoors with trees, and his friends and colleagues remember him in this feature for Mongabay.
This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.