Remembering Antonio Peña Cruz

We bring you the sad news that Antonio Peña Cruz, professional tree climber and botanical collector, recently passed away. He worked in the Amazon forests for the last three decades. He was an enthusiastic collaborator and participant of RAINFOR, providing long-term plot data and actively supporting the intense plot research activities that were set up and surveyed in Peru, particularly in Loreto, Madre de Dios and Pasco.

We met Antonio in the late 1990s, when he was already a professional tree climber. Antonio was one of the best in his specialty: serious about the importance of his work, supportive of his students, and intellectually generous with young colleagues. He was also energetic and very funny in conversation. Antonio was always open to sharing his knowledge and resources, seeing the additional value this could bring to his group and to science. He always felt at ease in the field, especially in the Amazonian and Andean forests of Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru in which he participated in different installation and remeasurement field campaigns of RAINFOR plots. Antonio’s work has also been crucial in his time as a collector and field researcher with the Missouri Botanical Garden Program, Peru where he participated in the collection of at least thirty species new to science.

On a more personal note, all who knew him will miss his great professionalism, laugh and his skill in cooking in the field. He leaves a great void among the friends, colleagues and researchers who knew him – a very large and vibrant family that we know will carry that personal strength into the future.

Abel Monteagudo