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Biography
Herbert L. Stoddard (February 4, 1889 – November 15, 1970) was a naturalist and conservationist in the United States.In the 20th century he earned a reputation for being one of the American Southeast's most prominent conservationists and a pioneering forest ecologist. The forest management method he developed with Leon Neel in Georgia's longleaf-wiregrass region is still used today. He also earned a reputation as being an expert on the bobwhite quail. He authored Memoirs of a Naturalist as well as The Bobwhite Quail: Its Habits, Preservation and Increase, the standard reference on bobwhite quail.
Stoddard moved from Chicago to Florida in 1893 at the age of four.
Stoddard was a friend and colleague of Aldo Leopold. Together, they helped institute wildlife management as a profession, encouraging America to reject industrialized agriculture in favor of ecological preservation. This was codified in his book Memoirs of a Naturalist. He also wrote The Bobwhite Quail: Its Habits, Preservation, and Increase on Georgia Farms, the first ever comprehensive study of quail. The U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey hired Stoddard to study the habitat and life history of Red Hills quail, ensuring its sustainability in the region.
In 1935 he received the William Brewster Memorial Award from the American Ornithological Society. He thereafter received the Silver Star and Letter of Commendation from Admiral Nimitz Herb for his actions during World War II.
In 1958 Stoddard co-founded Tall Timbers Research Station.