Howard P. Boyd was an
entomologist, botanist, editor, teacher, photographer, filmmaker,
writer, and naturalist, best known for his close association with the
Pine Barrens of New Jersey spanning more than 70 years died he was 97..
[2]
(November 2, 1914 – December 20,2011)
Background
Born in
Boston,
Massachusetts,
in 1914, Boyd spent much of his early life on small farms in three
suburban communities northeast of the city. An avid Boy Scout, by the
time of his graduation from
high school in
Billerica, MA, in 1932, he had earned every nature merit badge in the
Boy Scout Handbook.
He attended the
University of New Hampshire for two years before transferring to
Boston University,
where he received a bachelor of science degree in biological sciences
with an emphasis in botany (1938). A lifelong learner with a fascination
for the biological and natural sciences, he later earned a master of
science degree in entomology from the
University of Delaware (1979).
Career
Shortly after his graduation from
Boston University, Boyd went to work for the
Boy Scouts of America (BSA), moving with his wife, Doris (
nee Fowler), to the
Philadelphia area in 1938. He had his first exposure to the
New Jersey Pine Barrens
through numerous insect collecting trips in the fall of that year. In
1969, after 31 years as an executive with BSA, he retired, at which time
he became increasingly active in his two primary areas of interest: the
Pine Barrens and
entomology.
Following his retirement, Boyd became prolific as an educator,
conservationist, and writer. With Doris as photographer, from 1966–1976
the Boyds produced and presented films through the
National Audubon Society
Wildlife Film Tours. From 1970-1990, he was an instructor at the
Conservation and Environmental Studies Center at Whitesbog (now known as
the Pinelands Institute for Natural and Environmental Studies), then
sponsored by
Glassboro State College.
In the late 1980s and early ’90s, he was an adjunct instructor at the
college, developing and teaching a course on the ecology of the
Pine Barrens. He was a lecturer on
Pine Barrens ecology for both
Burlington County College (1990s) and the
Pinelands Teacher Institute run by
Pinelands Preservation Alliance
(PPA; late 1990s to early 2000s). He was renowned and sought after for
his workshops and field trips focusing on diverse aspects of Pine
Barrens biology, ecology, and conservation.
Boyd’s reputation as an educator and conservationist was closely tied
to his work as a scientist and researcher. Beginning in 1974, he spent
nearly 30 years as the editor of the serial scientific publication,
Entomological News, published by the
American Entomological Society
(AES), and he served as president of the AES from 1977–1981. For much
of his adult life he was considered one of the U.S.’s leading experts on
tiger beetles, a significant focus of his entomological research. He served as vice president and executive board member of the
New Jersey Audubon Society (NJAS) from 1975–1983,
[3]
and as chair of NJAS’s Advisory Committee for the Rancocas Nature
Center, which he helped establish, from 1977–1980. He was president of
the Burlington County Natural Sciences Club from 1988–1990. Beginning in
1989 he served as a trustee of PPA.
[4]
In 1980, Boyd was presented with the Paul S. Battersby Award by the
Audubon Wildlife Society. In 1989, he was presented with the
Silver Beaver Award
by the Camden County Council, BSA. In 2002, he was presented with the
Medal of the Garden Club of New Jersey (GCNJ), the organization’s
highest honor. In 2004, he was one of two premiere inductees into the
Pine Barrens Hall of Fame, established by PPA to honor heroes of Pine
Barrens protection. In 2009 he was honored for his leadership in New
Jersey Pinelands conservation and education at the 4th annual Lines in
the Pines symposium.
Howard and Doris Boyd, who predeceased him in 2009 at age 94, were
married for over 70 years and were survived by two children, five
grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren. The couple were longtime
residents of
Tabernacle,
New Jersey,
Burlington County, within the Protection Area of the
Pinelands National Reserve.
At the time of his death at age 97, on December 20, 2011, Howard P.
Boyd was celebrated for his influential work in educating the public on
the importance of protecting the New Jersey Pine Barrens from the
dangers of human development.
Books by Howard P. Boyd
Boyd was the author of
four books about the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
[5] His first book,
A Field Guide to the Pine Barrens of New Jersey: Its Flora, Fauna, Ecology and Historic Sites
(Plexus Publishing, Inc., 1991), with illustrations by Mary Pat
Finelli, is currently in its sixth printing and is recognized as the
most authoritative and widely referenced field guide to New Jersey
Pinelands flora and fauna.
His other books are
A Pine Barrens Odyssey: A Naturalist’s Year in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey (Plexus, 1997),
Wildflowers of the Pine Barrens of New Jersey (Plexus, 2001), and
The Ecological Pine Barrens of New Jersey: An Ecosystem Threatened by Fragmentation
(Plexus, 2008). The impact of Boyd’s books in raising awareness of the
New Jersey Pine Barrens ecosystem both regionally and nationally has
been significant.
Articles and scientific papers by Howard P. Boyd
Collecting Tiger Beetles in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Cicindela 5(1): 1-12; 3/1973
Stalking the “Tigers” of the Delaware Valley. Frontiers 37(3): 12-17; 4/1973
Overlapping Ranges of Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis and C. d. media.
with notes on the Calvert Cliffs area, Maryland. Cicindela 7(3): 55-60;
9/1975
A Bird Lore Primer. Scouting 64(2): 26-27, 56-58; 3/4/76
Tiger Beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) of New Jersey, with special
reference to their Ecological Relationships. Trans. Amer. Entomol. Soc.
104(2): 191-242; 8/1978
Flying Tigers. New Jersey Audubon 5(1): 11-14; W/1979
Insect Calendar. New Jersey Audubon 5(1): 21; W/1979
Insect Calendar. New Jersey Audubon 5(2): 18; Sp/1979
Insect Calendar. New Jersey Audubon 5(3): 22; Su/1979
Insect Calendar. New Jersey Audubon 5(4): 21; A/1979
Arthropods of the (N.J.) Pine Barrens (with P.E. Marucci). In:
Forman, R.T.T. (ed.), Pine Barrens Ecosystem and Landscape. Chap. 29,
pp. 505–525. Academic Press; Sp/1979
Intraspecific and Geographic Variations in Cicindela dorsalis Say
(Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) (with R.W. Rust). Coleop. Bull. 36(2):
221-239; 6/1982
Annotated Checklist of Cicindelidae. The Tiger Beetles of North and
Central America and the West Indies (with Assoc’s). Plexus Publishing,
Inc., 31 pp.; 3/1982
Library of The American Entomological Society and a Brief Review of
the Society’s Association with The Academy of Natural Sciences of
Philadelphia. Entomol. News 95(4): 131-136; 9/10/84
Pitfall Trapping Cicindelidae (Colcoptera) and Abundance of
Megacephala virginica and Cicindela unipunctata in the Pine Barrens of
New Jersey. Entomol. News 96(3): 105-108; 5/6/85
The Birth of “Entomological News” and a Century of Editors. Entomol. News 100(5): 207-211; 11/12/89
Twenty Year Index to the Quarterly Journal, “Cicindela” Vols. 1-20. 1969-1988; 2/1990
Arthropods Taken in Pitfall Traps in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Entomol. News 106(1): 45-56; 1/1995
Re-establishing the Validity of Cicindela scutellaris (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae). Entomol. News 111(3): 224-226; 5/2000
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Václav Zítek was a Czech opera singer died he was 79.. A lyric baritone with a beautiful timbre and a wide vocal range, he was one of the leading Czech singers of the postwar generation. He particularly excelled in portraying Janáček and Smetana heroes. His voice is preserved on numerous opera recordings made with the Supraphon record label.[2]
