Chris JenkinsViews:
About 17 years ago, I first met Ted Turner because of his love for reptiles like Eastern Indigo Snakes and Gopher Tortoises. Years earlier, Ted had worked with a university professor to release indigo snakes onto several of his properties, and he wanted to know whether any of those snakes had survived. That question sent me and a group of experts to a barrier island off the coast of South Carolina, where we made multiple trips searching for evidence of indigos. We found many snakes and several species, but there was no sign of indigo snakes.
At the time, I remember being somewhat surprised by Ted’s interest in reptiles and amphibians. Looking back now, I realize that surprise was really just my own naivety.
As I got to know Ted and the Turner family, I quickly learned that their commitment to conservation extended far beyond the charismatic wildlife most people associated with Ted Turner. They were deeply invested in conserving all species, including reptiles and amphibians, and many of their efforts focused on restoring endangered animals to landscapes where they had been lost. Ted reintroduced Bolson Tortoises and Chiricahua Leopard Frogs to the wild on his New Mexico ranches, and he helped reestablish populations of Gopher Tortoises on his Florida property, where they had nearly disappeared.
And throughout all of those conversations and projects, Ted kept returning to indigo snakes.
Over those early years, I met with him several times, and the conversation would almost always turn to how he could help get indigo snakes released on his properties. The reality was that the lands Ted owned in Florida and Georgia were not ideal indigo snake habitat and were not suitable for reintroduction. But instead of losing interest or walking away from the idea, Ted and his family chose a different path. They began working closely with us to conserve indigos in other parts of the Southeast.
Early on, I met one of Ted’s sons, Rhett, and we developed a friendship that continues to this day. I assisted Rhett as he worked to produce multiple documentaries highlighting the longleaf pine ecosystem, including the important role of species such as indigo snakes and Gopher Tortoises. Over the years, Ted, Rhett, and the Turner family became important partners in our work conserving indigo snakes and longleaf pine ecosystems. With their support, we have monitored indigo populations for 15 years, reintroduced indigo snakes in Florida and Alabama, and restored tens of thousands of acres of longleaf pine habitat and native groundcover.
One memory in particular captures how much conservation genuinely meant to Ted.
Back in 2014, our founding chairman Tom Kaplan, several staff members from Panthera, and I had the chance to stay with the Turner family and some of their conservation staff on one of Ted’s ranches in Montana. We spent days talking about big-picture conservation and how organizations could work together to have a greater impact. I know many important things came out of those meetings, though today I cannot remember all of the details.
But I vividly remember one moment.
We were touring the ranch and had set up spotting scopes on a bluff. Ted was standing twenty or thirty yards away from me, looking through one of the scopes. I happened to be the closest person to him when he called me over. He had me look through the scope, which he had trained on a wolf sitting on a distant hillside. Then, with genuine excitement, he began telling me the story of wolf recovery and the role his ranch had played in those efforts.
That moment has stayed with me ever since because it captured something essential about Ted. No matter how large his influence or how many projects he was involved in, he never lost his excitement for wildlife or his belief that conservation could restore something meaningful to the world.
A couple of months before Ted passed, I was fortunate enough to see him again while I was with Rhett, though I did not have the opportunity to speak with him. If I had, I would have told him what an honor it has been to work with him and his family all of these years.
Our founding chairman, Tom Kaplan, perhaps said it best when he reflected, “Ted was a truly rare individual — one whose legacy of grand vision and characteristic boldness would live far beyond him.”
I am deeply thankful for all that Ted accomplished, and I know an important part of his legacy will be the immense impact he had on wildlife conservation. It is a legacy that should stand as an example for philanthropists everywhere. There will never be another Ted Turner, but I am grateful I had the opportunity to work with him and witness firsthand his commitment to making the world a better place.
