Home > Faculty > Craig Tufts

Many long-time Summiteers know Craig Tufts, who taught so many of us about how to get close to the earth - literally on our hands and knees - as he identified every plant and crawling thing and told us stories about them that you would never find in any field guide. Craig stands out as one of the best Summit teachers for his wealth of knowledge and how he always retains a sense of wonder about nature.

Craig had been courageously fighting brain cancer for the past year and he passed away peacefully on the evening of June 21st. He and his family have been posting notes for friends and family at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/craigtufts. They have appreciated the supportive notes left on the guestbook.

The National Wildlife Federation has just established a Volunteer Education Fund in Craig's name which will enable a young person to have an environmentally based experience with their family- similar to those NWF Summit experiences that Craig was so fond of and such an integral part of over the years. If you wish to make a memorial contribution, please consider this fund as a way of carrying on Craig's legacy. Donations can be sent to:

National Wildlife Federation
Attn: Craig Tufts Volunteer Education Fund
11100 Wildlife Federation Drive
Reston, VA 20190

If you knew Craig or have a memory from a past Summit experience with him, we hope you'll take a moment and send your memory today.

Also, employees at the National Wildlife Federation are putting together a video and slideshow for Craig's family. Craig was the chief naturalist at NWF and it would have been his 33 year anniversary of working at NWF on July 1. If you have photos of Craig, please email them to senserk@nwf.org.