Fort St. James District council voted to donate $500 towards the Randy Sulyma Memorial Lichen Naming Campaign.
The Fort St. James Ministry of Natural Resource Operations (MNRO) office has also issued a challenge to other MNRO offices in the region to raise funds for the campaign.
Randy Sulyma was a forester and biologist who conducted research and inventory projects throughout northern British Columbia.
He was also an active coach and supporter of Fort St. James and area sports, most notably soccer and speed skating, and he volunteered many hours for local community events.
Sulyma passed away in a car accident on January 14, 2011 at the young age of 43, leaving behind his wife Sandra and children Joel and Emily.
In Randy’s memory the fundraising campaign is now underway to raise money to have something very special and very unique named for him.
Trevor Goward, a botanical researcher and curator of lichens at the University of British Columbia, recently discovered a new lichen species in the Clearwater area.
According to scientific protocol, the right to give a new species its scientific name goes to the person who finds it, but in this case Goward has offered to auction off the naming rights to The Land Conservancy (TLC) to raise funds for the Clearwater Wetlands and Wildlife Corridor Campaign.
Randy dedicated much of his career to the study of terrestrial lichens.
In his memory, the Sulyma family is trying to raise enough money to be the winning bid to name the lichen discovered in the Clearwater area after him. The goal is to work throughout September to try and raise $10,000 to secure the winning bid. The family has raised about $2,000 so far.
Local efforts are now underway to support the provincial campaign, and the district contribution is a solid start.
Anyone interested in donating towards the campaign can do so by emailing randysmemorial@gmail.com and payment can also be mailed or done online via a PayPal link. Call Kandace Kerr at 996-0194.
“Randy had such a love for life that he was an accomplished student of anything he put his mind to. This curiosity always led to many deep discussions and debate, always serious, but usually with a note of humor that brought smiles and laughter. Randy will be remembered always by his family, friends and colleagues,” said wildlife biologist Scott McNay.
Donations are tax-deductible. Deadline for the auction has been extended until Dec. 2, according to Trevor Goward.
– Fort St. James Caledonia Courier
