For all of my life I’ve tried to protect nature, but, if things keep going the way they are, I’m afraid that there will be nothing left to protect
Ing. Jiří Haleš was born on August 18, 1936, in Holešovice in Prague to a family of a bureaucrat. He attended grammar school and then went on to study at the University of Chemistry and Technology (VŠCHT) in Dejvice. Even though the Communist regime was very restrictive when it came to travelling, he managed to travel a huge part of the world. Throughout all of his life he has been an ardent advocate for environmental protection and conservation, and in particular the protection of reptiles. Since the 1960s, he’s been a member of the Karst section of Environmental Protection of the Society of the National Museum. Jiří is the author of a number of expert books where he combines his experiences from his numerous journeys with his interest for nature. At present, he can be found traveling Indonesia.