{"id":16029,"date":"2017-10-06T14:46:30","date_gmt":"2017-10-06T12:46:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tourduvalat.org\/fondation-tour-du-valat\/luc-hoffmann\/"},"modified":"2023-01-23T15:20:27","modified_gmt":"2023-01-23T14:20:27","slug":"luc-hoffmann","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/tourduvalat.org\/en\/fondation-tour-du-valat\/luc-hoffmann\/","title":{"rendered":"Luc Hoffmann"},"content":{"rendered":"

Luc Hoffmann, Founder of the Tour du Valat
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Luc Hoffmann celebrating his 85th birthday \u00a9 H.H\u00f4te \/ Agence Cam\u00e9l\u00e9on<\/span> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Born in Basel, Switzerland, Luc Hoffmann is the grandson of the founder of the Hoffmann-La Roche pharmaceutical company (today Roche). A nature enthusiast from his earliest age, he rapidly focused his studies on zoology and then the field of ornithology.<\/p>\n

It is in this scientific context that he discovered the Camargue just after the Second World War, and immediately fell in love with it. In 1948, he bought the Tour du Valat, a large ranch in the heart of the Camargue, where in 1954 he founded the biological station that goes by the same name and would rapidly become a worldwide reference for ornithology. Several generations of top ecologists and researchers from throughout the world would come here to work.<\/p>\n

Over the years, the Tour du Valat would broaden its field of action, and a few decades later would become a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands.<\/p>\n

In addition to his activities linked to the Tour du Valat, Luc Hoffmann left behind an immense legacy in the field of international nature conservation.<\/p>\n

Luc Hoffmann passed away on 21 July, 2016 in his home in the Camargue, at the age of 93.<\/p>\n

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Key dates<\/h2>\n
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1947 <\/small><\/h2>
\"Purchase<\/a><\/div>

Purchase of the estate<\/h2>

Luc Hoffmann, PdD in zoology, purchases the Tour du Valat Estate. Passionate about nature, he devotes himself to the study of waterbirds and the functioning of ecosystems.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n

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1954 <\/small><\/h2>
\"Creation<\/a><\/div>

Creation of the Station<\/h2>

Luc Hoffmann creates the Tour du Valat Biological Station.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n

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1961 <\/small><\/h2>
\"Creation<\/a><\/div>

Creation of the WWF International<\/h2>

He participates to the Creation of the WWF International of which he will be the Vice-President until 1988.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n

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De 1962 \u00e0 1969 <\/small><\/h2>
\"Wetlands<\/a><\/div>

Wetlands International<\/h2>

He is the Director of Wetlands International.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n

<\/div><\/div>

De 1966 \u00e0 1969 <\/small><\/h2>
\"IUCN\"<\/a><\/div>

IUCN<\/h2>

He is the Vice-President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n

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1985 <\/small><\/h2>
\"International<\/a><\/div>

International Foundation for the Banc d’Arguin<\/h2>

He creates the International Foundation for the Banc d’Arguin in West Africa<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n

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1990 <\/small><\/h2>
\"Society<\/a><\/div>

Society for the Protection of Prespa<\/h2>

He is the Founding President of the Society for the Protection of Prespa in Greece.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n

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2009 <\/small><\/h2>
\"Isabel<\/a><\/div>

Isabel the Catholic Prize<\/h2>

He receives the Isabel the Catholic Prize for his life dedicated to the protection of nature in Spain and throughout the world.  <\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n