Reflections and transitions
The end of the year — after the last cactus flower has folded its petals inward (in West Texas that would have to be Ariocarpus fissuratus), and many weeks before the first spring bloomers (like Echinocereus spp.) will surprise us with their spring bursts of incredible colors — we pause momentarily, at the “still point of the turning world”, to contemplate where we have been and where we are going.
Blake Williams, our cactus brother-in-arms and Board Member of Cactus Conservation Institute since its inception, recently passed away after a long bout with cancer. We especially miss Blake’s dry sense of humor. Among the last things he said to Martin on the phone was,”You know, dying sure is boring.”
We were blessed and feel honored to have had the opportunity to work with Blake and have him in our lives as a true compadre. And we were especially privileged to have his participation not just as part of Cactus Conservation Institute but as one of the founders. It is a notable point that the three founders all met each other independently
and began discussing the pressing need for peyote conservation efforts. Once we discovered that all three of us knew each other and had been carrying out parallel conversations, the creation of Cactus Conservation Institute in 2004 was an inevitable outcome.
Blake was a retired attorney who took care of our paperwork and legal research but he also had a deep love of the Texas brush country and a real knack at finding wild peyote plants when the annual hunt began for our research group.
He was an important creative force for Cactus Conservation Institute in a myriad of ways. Among Blake’s many contributions were his skills as a jeweler. It was his idea to create molds from living peyote plants in order to create realistic peyote jewelry that caused no harm to the plant. He worked quite hard to develop a patina and wax coating on the bronze versions which looked realistic. These were never sold commercially and were included as incentives for significant level donors. Those are now unique collectables that are possessed by a fortunate few.
They will no longer be produced but, as a tribute to our friend the artist, we will maintain the pages showcasing them.
Blake will be greatly missed by us all — and by anyone else who had the good fortune to know him.
While no one can replace Blake in life, we have already found an excellent new board member. Watch for our forthcoming announcement.
