Don Adams was an environmental pioneer who established Lady Elliot Island as a tourist destination and leaves behind a legacy that will shape Australian history.

The 93-year-old died in Hervey Bay last week, just three days shy of his 94th birthday, and tributes are flowing for the conservationist.

Mr Adams started a revegetation program in the 1960s to bring the Lady Elliot Island back to life after guano miners had left their mark 100 years earlier.

What once was a desolate rock in the Great Barrier Reef is now a lush island that brings tourists from all over the world.

People who knew Mr Adams say the island’s transformation is because of the groundwork he laid.
 

Key points:

• Don Adams was told he would never be anything but a cane farmer, but he is being remembered as a conservation legend
• He was instrumental in revegetating Lady Elliot Island, with the current custodian describing him as “an amazing man”
• Mr Adams has been recognised not just for his environmental efforts, but also his contributions to the aviation industry

Source
Jenae Jenkins
ABC News