David Hoyle lived in Crondall, near Farnham in Surrey, and was a social scientist who devoted his life to protecting African forests and natural ecosystems for the biodiversity they harbour; for the indigenous people and communities that depend on them; and to secure their vital role in mitigating dangerous climate change for the benefit of us all.
There is no explanation that satisfies our efforts to understand the cruel irony that, after a life dedicated to protecting forests, and evading the very real dangers of living, working and travelling in remote parts of Africa, David was snatched away by a modest cherry tree, blown onto his car roof by unseasonably high winds on 6th June 2017, just five minutes from his home in Crondall. He died instantly.
In life, David always had a knack of gathering people together and galvanising them to do more than he, or they, could possibly have done alone. In death, he’s done it one last time and The David Hoyle Foundation has been established in his memory to sustain the work and the spirit that David embodied.