René Daniel Haller (born 18 December 1933 in

Lenzburg Lenzburg is a town in the central region of the Switzerland, Swiss canton of Aargau and is the capital of the Lenzburg District. The town, founded in the Middle Ages, lies in the Seetal, Seetal valley, about 3 kilometres south of the Aare river. L ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

), is a

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

trained in

horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

, landscaping and tropical

agronomy Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants by agriculture for food, fuel, fiber, chemicals, recreation, or land conservation. Agronomy has come to include research of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and ...

. Since the 1970s, he has been known for his commitment to environmental restoration, such as the restoration of a limestone quarry wasteland in

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital status in 1907. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

, into the nature park and wildlife sanctuary named Haller Park. Haller is a recipient of a number of awards. He was one of the first recipients of the prestigious Global 500 Roll of Honor by the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

for his 'outstanding environmental achievements. He is a Trustee of the Haller Foundation, the Director of The Baobab Trust, and interim Chair of the

Kenya Wildlife Service Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is a state corporation under the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife established by an act of Parliament; Wildlife Conservation and Management Act CAP 376, of 1989, now repealed and replaced by the Wildlife Conservation ...

Board of Trustees.

Awards and honors

In 1987, Haller was awarded the prestigious

UNEP The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the Declaration of the United Nati ...

Global 500 Roll of Honor by the

, for his 'outstanding environmental achievements'. In 1991 he received the Swiss Brandenberger prize, as well as an Honorary Doctor's degree from the University of Basle. In April 2003, he was appointed to the board of the Kenyan Wildlife Service.

References

Haller Foundation WebsiteBaobab Trust Website
* Book (From Wasteland to Paradise by Dr. Rene Haller and Sabine Baer)

External links

Trust Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haller, Rene 1933 births Living people Swiss agronomists Swiss naturalists People from Lenzburg District