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SCIENCE

Tribute to the intellectual giant and champion

of environmental science - Prof. Bob Scholes

By Tendani Tsedu, group manager for strategic communication, CSIR

he passing of Professor Bob Scholes shocked not only South Africa but also
the world and tributes continue to pour in from across the globe. Colleagues and
Tfriends who have crossed various and dynamic paths with the late Scholes at
the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) saluted him and described him
as a gentle, caring, sensitive, intuitive, perceptive and passionate giant. Scholes was
an alumni of the CSIR and we were looking forward to working with him on the CSIR
alumni programme.
While we are now all the poorer due to his passing, he has nevertheless left an
indelible mark and set a high bar for those who were fortunate enough to have known
and interacted with him. He was an extraordinary scientist, someone with a profound
intellect, a remarkably wide knowledge of ecology and the natural world, and an ability and
willingness to communicate this understanding clearly to his colleagues, students and the
general public.
Scholes spent a large part, probably the most influential, of his amazing career at the
CSIR, where he worked from 1992 until 2014, before joining Wits University. He made a
massive impact on his colleagues during his time, working as a research group leader in The hard worker
the field of terrestrial ecology and global change science. Scholes would spend many evenings
Despite his international standing and the demands on his time, Scholes’ interests freezing on the Agulhas aft end, operating
remained firmly rooted in South Africa. Here, he shaped environmental research at the the underway conductivity-temperature-
CSIR for two decades and led several high-profile international research programmes depth (uCTD) instrument. For a terrestrial
such as SAFARI 2000, and assessments that addressed local issues, including the scientist, he really made a seamless
Assessment of Elephant Management (2008) and the Strategic Assessment of Shale Gas transition to sea life. Academics seemed
Development in the Karoo (2016). not to have blunted his practical edge as,
His popular books, The Kruger National Park: Wonders of a South African Eden besides his involvement in the scientific
(published by Struik in 1995) and Climate Change: Briefings from Southern Africa activities, he tweaked and fine-tuned the
(published by Wits University Press in 2015), reflect his passion for the conservation of pCO2 system throughout the voyage.
African savannas and his desire to communicate critical scientific findings to a broader He was a genuinely affable and likeable
audience, respectively. person, willing to share his extraordinary
Here at home, Scholes was described as an intellectual giant and a humble servant depth and breadth of knowledge.
of the people. Colleagues who worked closely with him said he would summarise a day’s As an environmental scientist,
incoherent strategic planning session into three or four key points and actions in a way Scholes would engage with various
that everyone understood. In the natural resources space at the CSIR, he was a giant in researchers, especially students. On
terms of guiding strategy and as a visionary research fellow, his contribution to the CSIR’s board, there would be moments of stress
footprint in global change, systems ecology and biodiversity research, is immeasurable. and frustration, but Scholes was always
calm and compassionate, providing
Inspiring young people comfort and support whenever it was
In 2009, Scholes took up the opportunity offered by the CSIR to join the newly formed needed. He played a fatherly role to the
Southern Ocean Carbon - Climate Observatory Programme, and went to Antarctica on team of students and young scientists,
the SA Agulhas to run the brand new pCO2 observations. Being Scholes, he immersed but was equally giddy with excitement at
himself in all aspects of the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. the adventure that they were all on!
Perhaps the most wonderful legacy he left was the knowledge he imparted to a very The scientific community has
young group of students under Sandy Thomalla, who was chief scientist of the voyage, indeed lost a giant and champion of
and through his weekly published letters to his son, Stirling. environmental science. The CSIR salutes
In January 2015, he left the CSIR to take up a Distinguished Professorship at Wits Scholes for his immense contribution to
University, where he continued his work with a focus on developing capacity in the field. climate change research.
He recognised that it takes many years to develop a systems ecologist, and strove to Scholes is survived by his wife, Prof.
advance this pipeline at Wits through the growth of a research group of masters and Mary Scholes, a professor at the Wits
doctoral students, and postdoctoral fellows. School of Animal, Plant and Environmental
As part of Scholes’ contribution to the personal and professional growth of everyone Sciences, and his son, Stirling.
who was privileged to work with him, he shared some gems. May his soul continue to rest in peace!

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