“Davison was a very special person. His charisma drew people to him and his warm, humble, and happy personality made people want to stay around him.” Amy Ickowitz, senior scientist, CIFOR-ICRAF
“He was such a great reservoir of knowledge. His presence and insights will be greatly missed.” Freddie Siangulube, scientist, CIFOR-ICRAF
- Terry Sunderland,
Professor, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia &
Senior Associate, CIFOR
Davison Gumbo was a legend in all senses of the word. He was a man of great warmth, humility, and decency and I would count him as a dear friend as well as an unwavering colleague.
Originally from Zimbabwe, Davison completed his tertiary education at Clark University in Massachusetts, in the eastern United States. His children were also educated in the U.S., and remained there, yet Davison felt a strong commitment to return to southern Africa to contribute to solving a burgeoning conservation crisis in the region.
In 2003, he was appointed as ecoregion leader for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on a regional community-based natural resource management project, based in Harare, Zimbabwe, but with a wider regional focus. As the WWF initiative ended in early 2007, Davison was employed by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) to run its southern Africa office. Political unrest at the time meant a relocation from Harare to Lusaka, Zambia. It was also a time of significant funding for southern African projects, encouraging the presence of internationally-placed junior research officers and extensive work on charcoal, bee-keeping and other non-timber forest products. Davison managed a vibrant team of national and international researchers, and the Zambia office gained prominence as one of the most productive regional offices that CIFOR had at that time.
Funding cycles, with the ebb and flow of investment into natural resource management, means managers must be nimble and knowledgeable, and Davison was certainly that. He cultivated great relationships with missions representing the governments of the U.S. and of Finland, for example, that led to further funding and, as every project came to an end and the Zambia office was marked for closure, he continued to find funding to support its work and mission. As one door closes, another opens, he always used to say.
Despite the frustrations of these funding cycles, inevitable staff lay-offs and re-hires, Davison remained stoic and cheerful, knowing that somehow, we could keep it all going. USAID funding for the Nyimba Forest Project was a major boost and there were also many regional and global projects, such as the Agrarian Change Project, the global study of dry forests that led to a major strategy declaration by CIFOR, the COLANDS project, and the huge Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) initiative. All of these projects included Zambia simply because of the expertise in the regional team led, of course, by Davison.
Travel to Zambia was always a joy. Davison would often personally collect visitors from CIFOR – including me – from the airport, rather than just send a driver as others would. We would be greeted with a hearty hug, and would chat and gossip together all the way into town with our schedule finalized long before hotel check-in. Davison and I also had many project-related road trips over the years: Kafue National Park, Lake Kariba, Livingstone and a week-long writing retreat in South Luangwe National Park where we balanced the completion of two publications while watching a constant traffic flow of wildlife through the lodge where we were staying. The elephants, in particular, paid such close attention to our lodges that we frequently missed meals because it wasn’t safe for us to make a run for the restaurant!
Davison was one of the few CIFOR scientists I worked with who really knew the flora of the region in which he was working; in this case, the Miombo woodland. It was a joy to be with him in the field and I know I drove him to distraction with question after question about what species we were dealing with, where these lived and why this was important. He was always gracious in his responses. Likewise, his dealings with community members were always characterized by his usual humility, humour and diplomacy; and it was a joy to watch him mentor the junior members of the country team, many of whom are in positions of responsibility today.
Visitors were never neglected after the work week. Longer trips to Zambia from the CIFOR base in Bogor, Indonesia would mean weekend trips in his beat-up old combi vehicle and then back to his modest apartment on Sunday afternoons to watch English football – the only bad thing I can say about Davison is that he was an Arsenal fan! But we never let that get in the way of an afternoon’s entertainment. As we lay back on his La-Z-Boy reclining chairs, the braai would already be lit, ready for the inevitable T-bone steaks that would follow the final whistle.
I worked with Davison for over 16 years, and I respected and admired him greatly. I, along with many others, will truly miss him.
- Amy Ickowitz, senior scientist CIFOR-ICRAF
I met Davison a year after I started working at CIFOR and knew him for about ten years as I worked on a few projects in Zambia. There, I had the good fortune to spend quite a bit of time with him in the field and in the office. Davison was a maverick; he saw the world from a unique angle that always made it fascinating to have discussions with him. We had long conversations about life, politics, food and nutrition, and conservation.
He always smiled and laughed, no matter what the circumstances – and always made me feel that whatever was happening was entertaining. One time we had driven for about eight hours on our way to a field site when the vehicle broke down. It was dark and we were hungry. Someone in our car had bought potatoes on the roadside on the way and someone else had bought charcoal. Davison suggested that we cook the potatoes on the side of the road. We ended up having a dinner of roasted potatoes and – thanks to Davison – everyone was smiling and laughing instead of being cranky and miserable.
Davison worked tirelessly to set up the Mize Community Conservancy in southern Zambia. It required endless diplomacy and mediation between many different groups. At some point, I didn’t think success was possible, but he did not give up. In November 2022, it was finally launched. I happened to be in Zambia for another project and Davison insisted that I come see the conservancy. He was, justifiably, so proud. He organized the launch ceremony and even though he had been the key figure to make it happen, he did not want to be acknowledged in the ceremony. He insisted that others take the spotlight. But everybody there knows that it finally happened because of ‘Doc’.
Davison was a very special person. His charisma drew people to him and his warm, humble, and happy personality made people want to stay around him. His intellect and willingness to say things that others might not dare also made those around him (including me) think and grow. I will miss him very much.
- James Reed, senior scientist CIFOR-ICRAF, COLANDS team leader
Reading the tributes already shared resonate deeply with me. I had a great respect for Davison, as it was clear so many others also did, both within CIFOR and the many partners he interacted with and clearly influenced. When he talked, everyone listened, and I appreciated the way he often posed challenging questions. As others have noted, he was also a great listener and found the time to engage with junior colleagues and had a gift for building their confidence. Combining a great respect and maintaining humility is indeed a rare gift. I’m grateful for the shared journeys and many groundnuts.
Sending my condolences to his family and wider Zambia community.
- Houria Djoudi, senior scientist CIFOR-ICRAF
I have known Davison since 2009, and in the last few years, whenever we met, we would greet each other with: ‘How are you doing, dinosaur?’ His response was always: ‘I’m still here’. It is heartbreaking to realize that he is no longer with us. I always admired Davison, because he never hesitated to speak the truth, but few people I have met in my life could bring up very critical issues on the table with such care, thoughtfulness, and respect. I will deeply miss his critical and profound thinking, always paired with laughter and his sharp sense of humor. May his beautiful soul rest in peace.
- Alida O’Connor, PhD candidate, University of British Columbia’s Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences.
I will remember Davison’s thoughtful questions and approachable demeanor. Davison made me feel comfortable and welcome to share ideas and to carry out fieldwork in Zambia. As an early-career scientist, I was grateful for the ease he brought to my new work environment, something I hope to emulate in the future. I feel very fortunate to have crossed paths with him.
- Mirjam Ros-Tonen, associate professor, Department of Human Geography, Planning & International Development Studies, University of Amsterdam.
I remember Davison as a friendly, calm, and amiable man. I got to know him through the COLANDS initiative, particularly during a workshop and field trip in Zambia in June 2022. It was a shock to hear of his passing. May his soul rest in peace.
- Freddie Siangulube, scientist CIFOR-ICRAF
My fond memories of Davison Gumbo (may his soul rest in peace) date from 2014 when I first met him at a meeting during my time at WWF. During a tea break, I had the chance to engage in a discussion with him about the Miombo landscape and institutional issues. I was mesmerized by his genuine interest in listening to me. His responses were informative, leaving a lasting impression in my career. Working with him later as a PhD student at CIFOR felt like a continuation of that conversation we began in 2014. He was such a great reservoir of knowledge. His presence and insights will be greatly missed.
- Malaika Yanou, PhD candidate, University of Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR)
Having the opportunity to work and collaborate with Davison Gumbo was a pleasure. He was always ready to have interesting conversations about research and the ethics behind our work. He was always able to cleverly mix knowledge and wisdom with irony, which is a skill shown by smart minds. His on-point and challenging questions and insights made me think a lot about my work and how to make it better. His presence was always an added value for great conversations. His knowledge and mind will be missed.
- Kaala Moombe, researcher CIFOR-ICRAF
It is sad and hard to bear the fact that Davison is no longer among us. I have lost a lot. My journey with Davison (aka DG, Doc) begun in 2007 in Mpika town, Northern province, Zambia when he made a presentation during a stakeholder consultative workshop. The meeting was organised under the auspices of a project I was working for at that time. I offered him support during the plenary discussion after his presentation, using PowerPoint to help participants follow the discussion. Davison later said that I did so well that he wanted a copy. “Young man, may I have the notes of the plenary discussion? You have summarised the discussion very well.” About five months later, when he came to Lusaka on a scoping mission on a Zambia-Malawi transboundary project, Davison sent word round that he wanted me to join the scoping team. Later, I became the manager of the project.
When Davison joined CIFOR, he looked for me yet again. I worked with him on small projects, including fundraising proposals, and I learned a lot. Davison then went further by offering me an opportunity to attend the interviews for the Nyimba Forest Project. I joined CIFOR afterwards.
Since then, it has been a rich learning journey for me. I benefited from Davison’s leadership, management, and great mentorship. We had great discussions, analysed issues, strategized, and rolled out operations under so many projects: Some of these discussions occurred during road travel that was sometimes as long as eight hours straight, during which we also enjoyed light moments without number! Through your leadership and management, I met several distinguished scientists in many projects from who I learned, and am still learning, a lot.
That is why it’s sad and hard to bear when we lose someone who has been, and will remain, the CIFOR image in Zambia for a long time. As you rest in peace, I say you are a legend, Doc!
