Who Was Waldo Holt?
December 16, 1948 – July 11, 2007
San Joaquin Audubon suffered the loss of a very dear friend and colleague when long-time Conservation Chair Waldo Holt lost his battle with cancer on July 11 of this year, and the 
citizens of San Joaquin County lost a stalwart and dedicated defender of habitat and wildlife. He was more than just the “gentle giant” of conservation in San Joaquin County. Many of us will remember Waldo as a good man who did a lot of good things for wildlife and for us. He led by example and his good work will live on if we recall and remember those lessons. Here follow some of what those of us who worked with him in Audubon recall.
--Reprinted courtesy San Joaquin Audubon Society's Hoot Owl newsletter
“Waldo was certainly larger than life and we all are better for knowing him. I already miss him so much.”
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Kasey Foley: S.J. Audubon
“For Waldo my words are few but my thoughts are many. He was such an effective member of the environmental community. It has been an honor to know him and to learn from him. It is fortunate for our feathered and furry friends that there has been this rare person who valued the natural world and spoke and acted with determination to protect them.”
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Nan Ballot: S.J. Audubon/Sierra Club
“There was a Swainson’s Hawk nest in a tree and a very tall, larger than life man softly talking and standing in front of the bulldozer, nose to nose with the driver, and telling him he could not go any closer!!!!!!! Waldo stood his ground, the driver backed off and there was a peaceful settlement to what could have gotten really ugly. From then on Waldo was as much of my experience with birding and Audubon as anyone. He was patient, asked any and all questions, and taught me patience when it came to observing birds.”
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Margaret Williams: Past President, S.J. Audubon
“I was going to say that Waldo was a man of few words, but those of us who sat through his conservation reports at Audubon board meetings know he could really talk, especially when he was passionate about something! What Waldo did do was choose his words carefully, a skill that served him well in his battles with government agencies and developers, as well as with beginning birders, whom he shepherded on many a walk at Lodi Lake. His knowledge of the status and distribution of birds in San Joaquin County was encyclopedic, and he was always one of the first people I called when I had a “sighting.” If the sighting was questionable (and they often were), Waldo knew all the right questions to ask. Waldo was a well-loved fixture of our club, with a towering presence, a soft-spoken manner, a wry smile, a keen sense of humor, and a twinkle in his eye that always made you wonder what he was really thinking. He will be sorely missed.
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Kurt Mize: Past President, Newsletter Editor, S.J. Audubon