Ciao Danilo
Lipu mourns the death of Danilo Mainardi.
With Lipu since the early eighties, Mainardi became President in 1996, then Honorary President later. “A giant of science and a beacon of Italian culture, he made a huge contribution to the growth and the successes of Lipu”
Danilo Mainardi died this morning in Venice. For nearly forty years his path had followed that of Lipu, first as a council member, then as President, and finally as Honorary President, which position he held at the time of his death.
He joined Lipu at the start of the eighties, bringing to it his deep understanding of science, nature and ethology.
In 1996 came the death of the Rai journalist and sitting president of the time, Mario Pastore. Mainardi, a close friend, stepped immediately into his place, to lead Lipu for the next six years of increased presence and environmental activism. In 2002 he took the post of Honorary President, but never ceased to contribute to the life of the association, editing a section on ethology, or animal behavior, for the Lipu journal Ali, and helping to decide on Lipu’s programmes and future strategies.
“Lipu is our wonderful family”, Mainardi liked to repeat at every meeting of the society, at which he was never short of words of wisdom, reflections on the protection of nature or viral scientific contributions , whether in the form of structured talks or illustrative tales. One member fondly recalls how he arrived at one such meeting accompanied by his dog.
Less well known was his love of nature drawing, in a simple, even naive style which was at the same time one of extraordinary clarity, and with which he both illustrated his work and made his lectures all the more valuable.
Mainardi made important contributions to ethology and to natural science and its promulgation in general: lectures, books, articles, television, higher education and the Quark and Corriere Della Sera awards.
“A giant of science, Danilo Mainardi was a beacon of Italian culture and an essential point of reference for Lipu,” – declared Lipu’s president Fulvio Mamone Capria and Chief Executive Danilo Selvaggi – “Mainardi loved Lipu with his whole heart, being part of it for forty years, giving guidance, advice, suggestions and help, and playing a major role in its growth and success. It is with immense gratitude that Lipu salutes Danilo Mainardi, and thanks him for the great privilege of walking, thinking and flying with him”.