We are very sad to confirm that early Friday, August 20, 2010 our colleague Arlo Raim was killed in an accident while working in DuPage County. Arlo worked for the Illinois Natural History Survey in various scientific and technical capacities since 1975.

Arlo’s expertise was in radio telemetry. Mike Ward who worked closely with Arlo shares these thoughts with us as we remember Arlo’s work:

“He was one of, if not the best, bird tracker in the world. He had used radio telemetry to track animals as varied as peregrine falcons, coyotes, turtles, and northern cardinals. He was a tireless worker, who was completely committed to his job and, therefore, to a better understanding of the behavior of wildlife (especially birds). Over the last 30 years he, in his station wagon with antennas on top, has been a common site on the roads of Central Illinois. Over the course of his career, he tracked animals throughout North and Central America.”

Arlo earned his BA in Biology from Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa and his MA in Biology from Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo.

We express our condolences to Arlo’s family and to all the staff of the Natural History Survey and the Institute who worked with and knew Arlo. We will share more information when it is available including memorial services.

This is a shock and a tragedy that affects us all. The staff of the University‚s Faculty/Staff Assistance Program has assured us that they are available 24/7 to assist any of us with this loss. The contact number they have given us is 217-493-8045.

The Chicago Tribune published an article on August 24 about Arlo.