In memory of Stephen Thorpe (@stephen_thorpe)
It’s with great sadness that we record the shocking and sudden loss of Stephen Ernest Thorpe on 24th August 2024, a talented freelance entomologist, biodiversity expert, and volunteer.
Stephen was born in England on 27th January 1970. He gained an MA (Philosophy) from the University of Auckland in 1997, and became an independent researcher in entomology from 1998.
Stephen has worked at a number of organisations including Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research and the Auckland Museum. From 2008–2011, Stephen was a Research Associate at The University of Auckland. These placements have been largely voluntary, without income, or at best through an occasional contract. Due to these circumstances, he led a frugal and unassuming life.
In recent years, Stephen found a base at the Whau River Catchment Trust offices at the Blockhouse Bay Tennis Club, and it was on the tennis club grounds where he was needlessly taken from us. He worked there nearly every day on a voluntary basis and right until the end actively contributed to the iNaturalist NZ – Mātaki Taiao citizen science and biodiversity recording platform.
The last observation uploaded by Stephen was of a Shortnosed Kauri Weevil (Xenocnema spinipes), where people have also posted comments on his passing. Stephen’s last community identification, likely less than an hour before his death, was of a Bagworm Moth (Lepidoscia heliochares).
As summarised on his profile, Stephen’s contributions to iNaturalist are prolific and exceptional. He posted 28,807 observations of 5,333 species and contributed a whopping 92,461 identifications to the community.
But these figures only tell part of the story. His identification skills were phenomenal, and over a wide range of organisms, not only within his specialist area of insects, but also all sorts of other animals, plants, and fungi. For example, the records made the day before his death included weevils, flies, moths, snails, ferns, and mosses.
As confirmed by many statements of gratitude from our iNat community, Stephen always willingly and freely shared his knowledge with others. He was beloved by numerous amateur entomologists for providing encouragement, useful information, and especially his numerous and prompt identifications. Stephen’s abilities were also well respected by academics, albeit with an occasional prolonged debate following differences of viewpoint. He loved the highly involved taxonomic exchanges with members of the Taxacom mailing list.
In addition to his contributions to iNaturalist and Taxacom, Stephen also made major contributions to Wikispecies, ZooBank, and other taxonomic/biodiversity resources.
He was especially valued by biosecurity agencies for finding and identifying new pest incursions, and monitoring weeds, pathogens and biocontrol agents.
As a reflection of his entomological research contributions, Stephen has had more than a dozen insect species named for him. These include:
Stephen leaves us with a huge legacy, and he prophetically states on his profile that “It is my intention that all my observations on iNaturalist remain there in perpetuity (i.e. after my death).”
Thank you, Stephen, for your incredible mahi – although your contributions will endure, you will be sorely missed.
Comments
Rest in peace Stephen. I along with many others within the iNaturalist community would have never meet Stephen but his presence was well known, always observing and always happy to help out with identification of insects and other realms of life. I always enjoyed looking at where he had gone to, and observations of things that I did not know even existed! He contributed massively to the entomological community, to iNat, and the wider science community here in NZ. He will be sorely missed.
I too had never met Stephen but in the context of the iNat community I feel I have lost a valued friend. Many others will be in the same situation. To lose a person of such knowledge and generosity is truely terrible. Mike Lusk
RIP Stephen! This is terrible.
RIP Stephen.
Such a huge loss for the iNat community and everybody interested in entomology in NZ. Tremendously sad to lose such a dedicated scientist and his considerable knowledge and enthusiasm.
A senseless incident and a loss to the citizen science community, especially for entomology. Stephen has been an omnipresent help on iNat for insect identifications (amongst other organisms). Stephen used to work with my dad at Auckland Museum and I remember him being in the office when I was a child. It was nice to reconnect on iNat as an adult with common interests.
Rest in peace Stephen.
An incomprehensible event. Like many of you, I and my colleagues at DOC valued Stephen's species identification's and his knowledge. Such a loss, RIP Stephen Thorpe.
I first met Stephen in 2002 during my PhD, he identified some weevils I found in my Carmichaelia seed pods as Peristoreus sudus and explained their biology. For many years we would regularly see each other at the monthly Tamaki Campus drinks and talk about taxonomy. We got on quite well I think because I am in mycology rather than entomology, so was a neutral party to any controversial opinions he held!
He really loved iNaturalist, I remember a few years ago he was really excited about his new camera’s macro function so he could take much better images.
The loss of Stephen is a great loss to entomology in New Zealand, he made so many discoveries on his daily wanders, including the first records of invasive exotic insects. Certainly, we all on iNaturalist will miss his incredible skill at identifying insects (and other organisms).
This is very tragic indeed. Tragic for Stephen and tragic for the Entomological community. Stephen's vast, almost incomprehensible knowledge of Aotearoa's insect fauna was of great help to me and many other scientists as well as community groups, spanning many individual and many project identifications. Stephen's contributions will be sorrowfully missed.
Stephen was truly an extraordinary person and I had the pleasure of working with him at the Tāmaki Campus for several years during my time there as a student. Stephen was one of the most technically helpful people during my PhD, helping me learn the identification of various insects. I always enjoyed Stephen's company, he had a good sense of humour and loved puns and was always keen to tell me about his most recent insect finds. I feel privileged to have known someone like Stephen, so unique with such remarkable skills. It's a great loss for the entomology community.
As well as his incredible contribution to iNaturalist, I read that Stephen has 9 species named after him - what a phenomenal legacy!
@murray_dawson - perhaps you could link to the taxa pages in the profile of him above?
E.g. here are some of the species named after Stephen I found on iNat:
https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/482405-Alloxysta-thorpei
https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/380021-Bocchus-thorpei
https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/388120-Cryptoxilos-thorpei
https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/388281-Cyparium-thorpei
https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/410829-Spathius-thorpei
https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/882974-Sierola-thorpei - an exotic species!
@melissa_hutchison - above I've already added a Wikispecies link to 10 species named after Stephen, but good idea - I'll add your list of iNat links. We are progressively adding to the profile here for Stephen as info comes in.
There are also:
https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/407886-Kaurimyia-thorpei
https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/564094-Scorpiurus-thorpei
https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/462055-Uropoda-thorpei
https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/464581-Zealantha-thorpei.
People have also posted comments on Stephen's last observation and iNatForum.
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/237414880
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/rip-stephen-thorpe/54728
Very sad!
Rest in peace Stephen. You've inspired me and so many others and contributed massively to the iNaturalist and wider scientific community. You will be sorely missed.
I hope there are bugs in heaven
Many thanks @invertebratist - I've edited this journal entry with the extra info and links.
In my 850 identifiers, Stephen is in the top 20, an absolute wealth of knowledge, much appreciation to all the help he gave.
So very sad! You often were the only one who could identify my insects, and I admired your vast knowledge and keen interest. You will be missed. Rest in peace, Stephen.
I enjoyed talking to Stephen on a couple of occasions at Tamaki Campus while I was a student. Then these last few years it's always given me peace of mind when my students load insects onto iNat, to have them verified by Stephen Thorpe usually within hours of being uploaded. Your contributions to entomology are tremendous and will be greatly missed.
Nearly 8 years ago I ineptly uploaded my first ever iNaturalist observation, a rather battered moth. Stephen identified it, with great humour and courtesy, which encouraged me to post further observations. Since then I have recorded over 5,000 observations and almost 1000 species - mostly moths and Stephen ranks 4th in the list of identifiers for me. I greatly valued his knowledge and contribution to iNaturalist and will miss his expertise. I am shocked at what has happened and wish that I had had a chance to meet him in person.
Thank you Sir for your service and for always being so kind and helpful. We are all going to miss you terribly.
It should not have happened . Rest in peace and sincere condolences to your friends and family.
Rest in peace Stephen, you were one of my top identifiers, and ID'ed my second submission every (a rather crunchy picture of a moth). You were an inspiration to the community and will be sorely missed. Much love to friends and family.
Stephen welcomed me to iNat-NZ Community the very first year the platform was developed. He encouraged me in so many ways; prompt identifications, useful comments and suggestions, and often quirky puns ! We e-mailed each other dozens of times over the years, swapping ideas and PDF's, calling attention to interesting new observations, and sometimes pondering difficult (often philosophical) issues. I know Stephen could be at times a bit "prickly", but he was a careful scientist and a diligent critic / mentor to many students in the field. He was as demanding of himself as he was of others. His value to the NZ Entomological Community has been amply noted and we all agree that he will be sorely missed. RIP Stephen Thorpe.
Such shocking news. I'm so incredibly grateful to Stephen for all of his generous help with identification. His knowledge of beetle taxonomy was astounding. Rest in peace. You will be forever fondly remembered by the iNaturalist NZ community.
Rest in peace, Stephen. I can't thank you enough for all your help in identifying my cryptic invertebrate species. Your loss will be deeply felt within the iNaturalist community, and you will be greatly missed.
Your contributions to this platform and to entomology as a whole is invaluable. I can remember your helpfulness, kindness and incredible aptitude for coming up with puns, that alone was a talent, but in addition with your vast knowledge and decades of dedication, you truly were an incredible human being.
It is so tragic that you had to be taken away from us like this, I wish that we had visited more beaches together, but what you have contributed, to this platform, to entomology and to our lives, is treasured and will be remembered. You will be missed, but live on in our hearts and in the many species named in your honor. Rest in peace Stephen Thorpe.
It is incredibly sad to know you are gone. Your value to this community is irreplaceable and we will all deeply miss you. Thank you for the countless great observations and the many times you have helped identify animals for me. Rest well Stephen.
Rest in Peace Stephen.
Rest in peace, Stephen. Thank you for all your identifications over the years
I was shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of Stephen. I hope justice is served swiftly. We have lost a highly valued member of our community. Personally Stephen was the first to identify a beetle that I found which he noted was a new to New Zealand observation. His skills and commitment will be sorely missed. May you rest in peace Stephen
Stephen was one of the first people to welcome me to iNat. He generously IDed hundreds of my observations over the year, sometimes with a quirky little pun. His enthusiasm was contagious and I learned so much. It always amazed me how he could ID a blurry little beetle on an equally blurry leaf. His death is such a huge loss for us all. Such a tragic, senseless way to leave this world. I’ll miss him a lot, even though we never met in person. Thank you for everything, Stephen. Rest in peace.
I appreciated his commitment, hard work, and generosity with his time. I know he was doing what he loved and it was wonderful that he shared it with the community.
I never met him, and referred to him as the “Bug Man” instead of remembering his name, but always respected his passion.
Rest in Peace Stephen “Bug Man” Thorpe.
I enjoyed my interactions with Stephen, always sharp and observant. I remember running into him during one of the lockdowns in Auckland, we both were Inatting in Western Springs. He would hunt out species I observed and sometimes I would do the same to him. His interests ranged widely, it was great to see his careful photos of bryophytes and lichens. A great loss, thanks for growing our knowledge.
I don't think I would have found myself quite as interested in little arthropods as I am today without your timely and accurate identifications of little known species on this site. Thank you for sharing some of your knowledge with me.
I'll miss seeing you pop up in my notifications. Rest in peace Stephen.
Thanks for all your help since I joined I Naturalist. A sad loss for us all. RIP Stephen
Just last month I was up in Auckland somewhat literally following in Stephen Thorpe's footprints from Meola Reef to Point Chevalier, specifically chasing down his observations of some moth species (or at least, evidence thereof) I hadn't see yet. I found the Plagianthus diveracatus leafminer, Stigmella aigialeia, didn't find the Vinicia Saltmarsh moths (will need to come back in summer), and found the exit-holes of the Pōhutakawa flower moth Argyroploce chlorosaris, probably on the exact same tree from Stephen's observation.
I'm sure loads of people have similar stories, particularly those in Auckland or who knew him personally.
Through iNaturalist Stephen Thorpe has imparted a vast corpus of entomological observations and as I can now see from these tributes, such a colossal amount of work in his career. I hope I've managed to actually learn some iota of it from his tireless ID's (particularly insects where I didn't even know where to start).
Reading the news in the weekend it was easy enough to put 2 and 2 together and I was simply shocked.
I was shocked and saddened when I heard the news.
Thank you Stephen Thorpe for all the identifications you did for my observations, it helped me a lot.
You inspired my passion for insects, I wouldn’t have known how or where to find so many of the cool species I have found without your detailed observations and the useful tips you gave me.
I learnt so much about insects from you, I wish I could’ve met you. You were always happy to help and explain your identifications when I would mention you in an observation, thank you.
Inaturalist and New Zealand entomology have suffered a great loss losing you and your knowledge.
Rest well.
We will miss you.
Thanks @murray_dawson for putting together that article so quickly, and so eloquently.
Stephen's contributions to NZ natural history have been nothing short of extraordinary and I expect his legacy will become the stuff of legend for generations.
It's so sad to lose him so soon, and in such circumstances. Thank you Stephen for your incredible mahi. You leave behind enormous shoes for us to fill.
I was absolutely horrified to learn the news over the weekend, we have lost an absolute legend. Like many, when posting observations of tiny insects of all sorts, I was always amazed at how Stephen was able to ID them so quickly and accurately. His legacy will live on but he will leave a huge gap for us all. Rest in peace Stephen
Stephen, your contributions to the New Zealand iNaturalist community and to entomology will never be matched. Your iNaturalist observations and identifications will remain forever, a testament to your immense knowledge and dedication. You are truly irreplaceable.
Thank you for inspiring and mentoring dozens of aspiring entomologists.
Rest in peace, You will be missed.
We have lost an extraordinary member of our community under horrible circumstances. Stephen was already legendary when he was alive.
Like many on iNaturalist I never met Stephen, but always appreciated his identifications of my sketchy photos. Old-fashioned naturalists like him are a rare and precious breed, and his passing leaves a huge gap in the world which we may never quite fill.
I remember him joking about one of my identifications of an African mantid (Miomantis caffra) by saying I should greet it with "ello Mioldmantis" and he was an incredibly prolific identifier of my submissions on iNaturalist. Rest in peace, Stephen.
Stephen Thorpe will be honoured during a special livestream at the start of the Entomological Society of NZ Conference. All welcome!
Time and date (NZ): 9.30am on the 28th August 2024.
Meeting URL: https://canterbury.zoom.us/j/91233506443?pwd=yB7TicqdJFa0apbVSKULFb3OVyGD8C.1
Meeting ID: 912 3350 6443
Passcode: stephen
Also see the event post at https://www.facebook.com/events/2640980579407761
What a senseless tragedy. I'm sorry to hear about his passing.
Rest in Peace Stephen. You will be missed deeply
I never met Stephen in person, but as fellow bug fanatics, we crossed paths a lot on iNaturalist. He helped me with many IDs for rare and obscure things, not just for NZ observations, but also for American & European bugs. I really appreciate his broad & deep knowledge and his uncompromising commitment to data quality. Of all the things he id'd for me, this one's my favorite:
Still processing the shocking news.
I was privileged to get to know Stephen personally over the last 8 months or so as we worked out of the same office. He was instrumental in stoking my passion for iNat, and ecology more generally. Every day after one of his excursions he would make a beeline for my desk to show me some interesting lichen or fern or weevil that he'd observed that day. He was a such a treasure trove of knowledge, and so generous with his time. I remember his delight when I started using iNat more regularly, and so often while out in the field I would think, 'ooh, I can't wait to show Stephen this observation'. Back in the office, we would talk for hours and hours about the plants I'd seen, and I would learn so much. His passion was truly contagious. To his eternal dismay, I never uploaded many bug observations - hope it's not too late to rectify that.
I read in one of the articles about him that he 'wouldn't hurt a fly' and couldn't help but laugh at the irony, having seen him dissect many a fly under microscope in our office!
In addition to his encyclopedic knowledge of flora and fauna, he was always good for a chat about 70s rock music and old sci-fi TV shows, and his sense of humour was unparalleled, always lighting up the conversation.
Such a tragic loss, to me and this community. Rest in peace Stephen.
It was so shocking to hear of his passing.
He was a good man and a great citizen.
He gave so much.
The 'wouldn't hurt a fly' also made me smile, @acnestis :)
RIP Stephen. Thank you for the inspiration and the many many critter IDs, for teaching me the importance of including as much information as possible about associated species in my iNat observations, and for introducing me to the joy of leafhoppers. You have left us all a wonderful legacy by sharing your knowledge so generously and ensuring that your iNat observations will be preserved in perpetuity.
Thank you for your marvellous help Stephen. You not only helped me to confirm my ID's, you also explained reasons why something was classified in a certain way. I have learned much and I'm so grateful for your help. I will miss you trememdously. We will miss you tememndously. RIP you clever clever man, who gave us so much of yourself in a selfless way.
Firstly, I'd like to express my condolences to Stephen's family, friends and colleagues. I hope peace and justice is found, this should not have been this man's fate.
Secondly, I think many will agree that Stephen Thorpe lived an extraordinary and exemplary life. From what I have seen, he was a quiet but hard working man who dedicated himself to his passion of entomology - his consistent, precicse and insightful records on his iNaturalist profile is some of the best I've ever seen, he had a tremendously deep knowledge of NZ fauna and has helped many, many people with identifying bugs and insects. He was a prolific observer, and regularly observed many obscure and seldomly-seen insect species. Although we sometimes disagreed with each other on this website, he always had his reasons as for why he thought the way he did - he stood by his opinions and I found that integrity very respectable. The NZ entomological community, iNaturalist and Auckland communties have loss a very valuable person who lived a very meaningful, passion-filled and humble life. May his legacy live on through his contribution, impact and work.
I was very upset to hear of Stephen's death and it is a huge loss to Aotearoa New Zealand and the online naturalist community. He identified hundreds of insects for me as well as dozens of other organisms. He even IDed obs by proxy - I have a couple by a willing accomplice stating "ID on behalf of Stephen Thorpe who is currently unable to login." Stephen gave so much knowledge freely and would answer my questions in a way that I could understand as a non-scientist. I'm honoured to be able to pass on a little of what he taught me and I imagine that will be true of many others, whether formal student or amateur enthusiast. It is a fitting legacy.
I thank the Taxacom listserv for introducing me to Stephen Thorpe, and iNaturalist for providing the occasion to exchange ideas not so much about identifications as about neurodiversity and the sometimes very human foibles of people doing taxonomy. Reading my Taxacom digests, it was always fun to see Stephen's name among the contributors, and to then look out his comments on the topic at hand - not because I necessarily agreed with him, but rather because he usually contributed unique insights. And for sure, much of the charm of his contributions lies in how widely they range, from the nuts and bolts of doing taxonomy to his opinions on scientific fads, malpractices, and the wider iniquities of racism and sexism. His neurodiversity such as it may have been certainly did not narrow the breadth of his concerns. What a loss, and for such a stupid reason!
RIP, your engagement will be missed
I am a member at BHB tennis club and also work for DOC. I got to know Stephen through his finding of an iNaturalist point he found of Bushkiller in the local area. From then on we would always talk about plants and biosecurity. I would sometimes buy him a lion red (His choice of beer he'd always have beside him) after I'd finish a game of tennis and have a short yarn with him. I am very thankful i got to know him despite it being a short time. Sending my karakia out to you e hoa.
Thank you, Stephen, for being inspirational to so many of us Nature Nerds.
Rest in Peace after this senseless act of violence
Ruud
I never knew him except through inaturalist, but he was part of what made learning about 'bug'through this citizen science tool a joy: he'd come through quickly with an ID, gently suggest what else would be needed for a better ID, and answer questions thoughtfully. He will be missed.
We are all so shocked! It's been a terrible few days... but so wonderful to read these comments and have watched the "Fallen Tōtara" tribute at the Entomological Conference this morning.
As you probably know, Stephen spent much of his time working from The Whau River Catchment Trust in the Blockhouse Bay Recreational Reserve – which is where his life ended.
The WRCT and the Moths and Butterflies of NZ Trust have been working with Auckland Council and the Whau Local Board to create more insect-friendly habitat within that park. These two charities, with permission from the Whau Local Board, plan to install a park seat in a grassed area looking over the new “no-mow” zone and native restoration project so that people can sit and enjoy the beautiful space. We believe Stephen would be pleased that we are encouraging more people to enjoy our biodiversity.
If you would like to contribute - or interested in learning more - please check out:
https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/a-memorial-for-stephen-thorpe
Thank you Stephen for being you, and for your incredible work output. Among his many online activities Stephen Thorpe was a perceptive and frequent participant on the Taxacom mailing list, debating highly articulately over many years with world taxonomists on many issues. Some reactions on Taxacom to his death are here:
https://lists.ku.edu/pipermail/taxacom/2024-August/thread.html [ if that link rebuffs you, try the subscriber link first - https://lists.ku.edu/listinfo/taxacom ]
I’ve had the pleasure (mostly) of working with Stephen for the last four years at the Whau River Catchment Trust. He has been an interesting colleague and friend. Stephen was a unique chap, quirky, very smart, great sense of humour an endless love for the natural world, a lover of 70’s and 80 English rock bands and a devoted conspiracy theorist.
Stephen stayed with me for 6 weeks during one of the Covid lockdowns, it was mostly a wonderful time. We ate and drank way too much, we had LOTS of discussions and about many things and more than a few heated debates, two silly old men trying to fix the world’s problems, often under the influence of red wine! Our neighbours had to endure many days of Pink Floyd at unneighbourly sound levels!
We walked most days and I was astonished and fascinated at his encyclopaedic knowledge of the natural world. He knew the names of every plant, lichen, fungus and especially insects but marine organisms, birds and my cat all received his attention. We fossicked in public parks, under trees, along the coastline and in my garden where he spotted a moth on a king palm that normally lives on Nikau, he was very excited, like a kid at Xmas. It seemed he knew everywhere to look, and he got great delight in taking me to places and telling me what we would find under a rock or old log or in/on a certain plant. He had his favourite haunts and knew where he would find certain species in different life stages throughout the year.
Stephen enjoyed a beer or wine; his favourite beer was the one someone else bought but when he was buying his own Lion Red or Speights was his preferred drop.
The office feels empty without him here, it’s a hard and painful adjustment and so very sad and pointless. Stephen was here when he was killed, at what was more than his second home, he was in his safe place, this was his community, between us at WRCT and upstairs in the Tennis club rooms he was known to most and loved by all. RIP my friend, we will remember you always.
An arrest has been made - https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/08/29/man-charged-with-murder-after-fatal-blockhouse-bay-stabbing/ and also see https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350395398/man-arrested-over-blockhouse-bay-death
Absolutely devastating. Like so many others I was the beneficiary of Stephen's knowlede (incredibly wide and deep) and expertise. Not just with IDs, but in helping to unravel some of the obscure mysteries of nature. Strange egg cases, obscure nymphs and such like.
Always quick to respond to queries and to the point, and very patient with a rank amatuer like myself.
He once commented that I 'had a good eye' which I took as a very valued compliment from such an expert. But,....he did follow on by telling me I needed to get a new camera!
INat will never be the same without you Stephen. However, threads of you are very much woven throughout its rich fabric and will live on as a tribute to your enormous contributions and influence.
It's hard to find words for such a senseless end to an incredible mind. I always enjoyed our chats when he was working with us at Manaaki Whenua, often talking about the latest interesting critter he had found in a pottle, things any other person would have overlooked. He was always so happy sitting in the lab in front of a microscope. It was great to see his strengths being recognised, and the pride he had in this work. He leaves a hole that will never be filled. Rest in peace, Stephen.
This is so tragic. I never met Stephen but he identified many of my insect observations over the years.
He has indeed left a fantastic legacy.
RIP Stephen
Stephen's funeral is to be held on Monday 2 September at the Blockhouse Bay Tennis Club, midday. The tennis club is in Rathlin Street, Blockhouse Bay. Very easy to find.
Details at https://www.facebook.com/share/SGS4YJ87zBKbiVFu/
So sad. I only knew you Stephen from your identification of the insects that mostly I could only place in an order. Since your death I have come to know much more of the scope of your contributions to NZ biodiversity, which are have been considerable.
Thank you Stephen for your life, your mahi and your selfless dedication to the natural world. RIP my friend.
How open is the funeral? I only knew Stephen from iNaturalist, but I'm interested in going.
Hi @black_robin, the funeral is open to everyone, so you're most welcome to attend :)
I wish I could go as well. It’s a bit far for me to go. I’ll be there in spirit.
I was saddened and shocked to hear of this devastating end for Stephen, his passion and dedication were appreciated and admired, and we can but try to continue to pass on a similar level of enthusiasm for nature and biodiversity. Thank you for everything you have taught and so kindly shared with the Inaturalist community, we will remember you
The funeral live-stream is at https://youtube.com/live/oc0TDG3_Gx8?feature=share - starting from 12 noon, Monday 2 Sept
Beware of scammers links to other sites (e.g., Reddit) and fraudulent Facebook friend requests that have recently appeared.
Stephen liked me because I laughed at his impromptu Schrodinger's cat joke. It gladdens that so many others enjoyed his warmth.
That was a beautiful service. Thank you for streaming it.
This is sad news. I didn't know Stephen very well but we talked a few times. Despite that many people respect him as the comments here so far show, he also could've been treated better or more fairly by the website moderators in at least one past instance some are familiar with. Speaking positively, overall Stephen seemed very dedicated to biodiversity observation and identification, in all the interactions we had or that I saw, which is in keeping with how he asked for his observations to permanently remain on the website. I respect his contributions and optimistic outlook.
Rest in peace Stephen and thank you for all your invaluable contributions to iNaturalist and biodiversity as a whole
Two givalittle pages have been created to remember Stephen Thorpe:
https://givealittle.co.nz/.../a-memorial-for-stephen-thorpe - from the Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust to install a seat in the Blockhouse Bay Recreational Reserve
https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/a-funeral-for-stephen-thorpe - from the Whau River Catchment Trust to help with the costs of the funeral sevice.
Both are official fundraisers. The funeral service is online at https://m.youtube.com/live/oc0TDG3_Gx8?feature=share
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