The Madison, and Conservation, Loses a Friend

Alex Diekmann, a tireless advocate for the Madison and greater Yellowstone area, passed away at his Bozeman home on February 1. Even while fighting his cancer diagnosis, Diekmann continued to work on what would be his last project, conserving 23,000 acres of forested lands surrounding Whitefish, Montana. “If the night sky should appear slightly different it is because a very bright star is gone,” writes Jeff Laszlo in tribute, “Alex Diekmann will be dearly missed but his conservation triumphs will be with us forever.”

Author Todd Wilkinson also penned a tribute to his long-time friend, saying: “Diekmann the conservationist wasn’t seeking immortality or accolades for his efforts. He believed in public lands and the public having access to them in perpetuity. He invited us to know and act upon the power of thinking beyond generations for the public good. He showed us what selfless perpetuity means.”